Giant squid
Architeuthis dux Steenstrup, 1857
LCLeast Concernoctopus and squid
The giant squid (Architeuthis dux) is a species in the family Architeuthidae, order Oegopsida. Recorded adults weigh about 272.2 kg. It has been recorded in 26 countries, most often in New Zealand, Australia and Japan. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.
Quick facts about the giant squid
- Weight
- 272.2 kgsrc for Weight
- Length
- Not recorded
- Height
- 13.1 msrc for Height
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- Not recorded
- Young per litter or clutch
- Not recorded
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Recorded in
- 26 countriessrc for Recorded in
How big is the giant squid?
Photos of the giant squid
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
Where does the giant squid live?
Countries with openly licensed sighting records on GBIF. This shows where the species has been recorded, including zoos and introduced populations. It is not a definitive range.
The giant squid has been recorded in 26 countries, from 426 records.
- None on record
- 1–9
- 10–99
- 100–999
- 1,000+
The same figures as a list, most records first
What is the giant squid?
The giant squid (Architeuthis dux) is a species of deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae. It can grow to a tremendous size, offering an example of abyssal gigantism; recent estimates put the maximum body size at around 5 m (16 ft) for females, with males slightly shorter, from the posterior fins to the tip of its long arms. This makes it longer than the colossal squid at an estimated 4.2 m (14 ft), but substantially lighter, as it is less robust and its arms make up much of the length. The mantle of the giant squid is about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) long (longer for females, shorter for males), and the feeding tentacles of the giant squid, concealed in life, are 10 m (33 ft). Claims of specimens measuring 20 m (66 ft) or more have not been scientifically documented.
The number of different giant squid species has been debated, but genetic research suggests that only one species exists. In 2004, a Japanese research team obtained the first images of a living specimen in its habitat.
Wikipedia contributors, “Giant squid”, Wikipedia (revision 1384129595), retrieved 2026-11-11. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0; this block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the giant squid endangered?
The giant squid is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.
How is the giant squid classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumMollusca
- classCephalopoda
- orderOegopsida
- familyArchiteuthidae
- genusArchiteuthis
- SpeciesArchiteuthis dux Steenstrup, 1857
Synonyms Architeuthis clarkei, Architeuthis hartingii, Architeuthis harveyi, Architeuthis japonica, Architeuthis kirkii, Architeuthis longimanus, Architeuthis martensii, Architeuthis monachus, Architeuthis nawaji, Architeuthis physeteris, Architeuthis princeps, Architeuthis sanctipauli, Architeuthis stockii, Architeuthis verrilli, Dinoteuthis proboscideus, Dubioteuthis physeteris, Loligo hartingii, Megaloteuthis harveyi, Megateuthus martensii, Mouchezis sanctipauli, Plectoteuthis grandis, Steenstrupia stockii
Names in other languages (8)
- RiesenkalmarGerman
- Atlantische reuzeninktvisDutch
- ダイオウイカJapanese
- 巨烏賊Chinese
- حبار عملاقArabic
- Гигантский кальмарRussian
- Calamar GéantFrench
- Calmar GéantFrench
GBIFWikidataWikipediaNCBI TaxonomyITISEncyclopedia of LifeiNaturalistWoRMS
Relatives of the giant squid
Other species in the same class Cephalopoda.
North Pacific giant octopus
Enteroctopus dofleini
Common questions
Answered only where our data holds the answer.
How big is the giant squid?
An adult giant squid weighs 272.2 kg and stands 13.1 m tall, according to values recorded on Wikidata.
Where does the giant squid live?
The giant squid has openly licensed sighting records from 26 countries on GBIF. The most records come from New Zealand, Australia, Japan, United States and Canada. These are recorded sightings, not a definitive range.
Is the giant squid endangered?
The giant squid is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.
What kind of animal is the giant squid?
The giant squid (Architeuthis dux) belongs to the family Architeuthidae in the order Oegopsida.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0 · live API 2026-11-11
GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org. - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · live API 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata, the free knowledge base. - GBIF occurrence aggregates (CC0 and CC BY records only) · CC BY 4.0 · live API 2026-11-11
GBIF.org occurrence search, country facet counts restricted to CC0 1.0 and CC BY 4.0 records. - Wikimedia Commons · Per file · live API 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Licence and creator recorded per file. - English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · live API 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Giant squid (Architeuthis dux). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/giant-squid
“Giant squid (Architeuthis dux).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/giant-squid.
@misc{giant_squid_2026,
title = {Giant squid (Architeuthis dux)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/giant-squid},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}