{"url":"https://creaturedata.com/animals/giant-squid","data_as_of":"2026-11-11T10:46:03.145Z","schema_version":"0.1.0-fixture","summary":"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.","taxon":{"id":2290184,"slug":"giant-squid","rank":"species","scientific_name":"Architeuthis dux","authorship":"Steenstrup, 1857","preferred_common_name":"Giant squid","common_names":[{"name":"Giant squid","lang":"en"},{"name":"Riesenkalmar","lang":"de"},{"name":"Atlantische reuzeninktvis","lang":"nl"},{"name":"ダイオウイカ","lang":"ja"},{"name":"巨烏賊","lang":"zh"},{"name":"حبار عملاق","lang":"ar"},{"name":"Гигантский кальмар","lang":"ru"},{"name":"Calamar Géant","lang":"fr"},{"name":"Calmar Géant","lang":"fr"}],"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"],"lineage":[{"id":1,"rank":"kingdom","name":"Animalia"},{"id":52,"rank":"phylum","name":"Mollusca"},{"id":136,"rank":"class","name":"Cephalopoda"},{"id":8403901,"rank":"order","name":"Oegopsida"},{"id":3437,"rank":"family","name":"Architeuthidae"},{"id":2290178,"rank":"genus","name":"Architeuthis"}],"kingdom":"Animalia","phylum":"Mollusca","class":"Cephalopoda","order":"Oegopsida","family":"Architeuthidae","genus":"Architeuthis","parent_id":2290178,"is_extinct":false,"body_mass_g":272200,"body_mass_g_min":272155,"body_mass_g_max":272155,"body_length_cm":null,"body_length_cm_min":null,"body_length_cm_max":null,"height_cm":1311,"height_cm_min":1310.64,"height_cm_max":1310.64,"wingspan_cm":null,"wingspan_cm_min":null,"wingspan_cm_max":null,"lifespan_year":null,"lifespan_year_min":null,"lifespan_year_max":null,"gestation_day":null,"gestation_day_min":null,"gestation_day_max":null,"incubation_day":null,"incubation_day_min":null,"incubation_day_max":null,"litter_size":null,"litter_size_min":null,"litter_size_max":null,"habitat":[],"main_food":[],"size_class":"large","iucn_category":"LC","countries":["NZ","AU","JP","US","CA","ES","TF","ZA","NO","GB","AR","DK","PT","RE","AQ","BS","IE","NA","BR","NL","FR","IN","IT","NF","PR","SH"],"primary_image":{"url":"https://creaturedata.com/media/141.jpg","width":1280,"height":524,"creator":"Stefan Kühn","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","licence_url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/","source_url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Riesenkalmar.jpg"},"completeness_score":81,"popularity_score":54,"has_image":true,"has_audio":false,"has_description":true,"groups":["molluscs","octopus-and-squid"]},"facts":{"body_mass_g":272200,"body_mass_g_min":272155,"body_mass_g_max":272155,"body_length_cm":null,"body_length_cm_min":null,"body_length_cm_max":null,"height_cm":1311,"height_cm_min":1310.64,"height_cm_max":1310.64,"wingspan_cm":null,"wingspan_cm_min":null,"wingspan_cm_max":null,"lifespan_year":null,"lifespan_year_min":null,"lifespan_year_max":null,"gestation_day":null,"gestation_day_min":null,"gestation_day_max":null,"incubation_day":null,"incubation_day_min":null,"incubation_day_max":null,"litter_size":null,"litter_size_min":null,"litter_size_max":null,"habitat":[],"main_food":[],"size_class":"large"},"trait_values":[{"trait_key":"body_mass","value_num":272155,"value_text":null,"unit":"g","orig_value":"600","orig_unit":"lb","sex":null,"life_stage":null,"measure":null,"source_release_id":"wikidata@2026-11-11","source_record_id":"Q13537131#P2067","source_url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q13537131#P2067","citation":"Wikidata contributors. Wikidata, the free knowledge base.","licence":"CC0 1.0","confidence":null},{"trait_key":"height","value_num":1310.64,"value_text":null,"unit":"cm","orig_value":"43","orig_unit":"ft","sex":null,"life_stage":null,"measure":null,"source_release_id":"wikidata@2026-11-11","source_record_id":"Q13537131#P2048","source_url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q13537131#P2048","citation":"Wikidata contributors. Wikidata, the free knowledge base.","licence":"CC0 1.0","confidence":null}],"conservation":[{"scheme":"IUCN","category":"LC","trend":null,"scope":"global","as_of":null,"url":"https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Architeuthis%20dux&searchType=species","source_release_id":"wikidata@2026-11-11","source_record_id":"Q13537131#P141","source_url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q13537131#P141"}],"common_names":[{"name":"Giant squid","lang":"en","region":null,"is_preferred":true,"source_release_id":"wikidata@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Riesenkalmar","lang":"de","region":null,"is_preferred":true,"source_release_id":"wikidata@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Atlantische reuzeninktvis","lang":"nl","region":null,"is_preferred":true,"source_release_id":"wikidata@2026-11-11"},{"name":"ダイオウイカ","lang":"ja","region":null,"is_preferred":true,"source_release_id":"wikidata@2026-11-11"},{"name":"巨烏賊","lang":"zh","region":null,"is_preferred":true,"source_release_id":"wikidata@2026-11-11"},{"name":"حبار عملاق","lang":"ar","region":null,"is_preferred":true,"source_release_id":"wikidata@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Гигантский кальмар","lang":"ru","region":null,"is_preferred":true,"source_release_id":"wikidata@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Calamar Géant","lang":"fr","region":null,"is_preferred":true,"source_release_id":"wikidata@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Calmar Géant","lang":"fr","region":null,"is_preferred":false,"source_release_id":"wikidata@2026-11-11"}],"synonyms":[{"name":"Architeuthis clarkei","authorship":"G.C.Robson, 1933","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Architeuthis hartingii","authorship":"(A.E.Verrill, 1875)","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Architeuthis harveyi","authorship":"(Kent, 1874)","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Architeuthis japonica","authorship":"Pfeffer, 1912","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Architeuthis kirkii","authorship":"C.W.Robson, 1887","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Architeuthis longimanus","authorship":"T.W.Kirk, 1888","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Architeuthis martensii","authorship":"(Hilgendorf, 1880)","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Architeuthis monachus","authorship":"Steenstrup","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Architeuthis nawaji","authorship":"Cadenat, 1935","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Architeuthis physeteris","authorship":"(Joubin, 1900)","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Architeuthis princeps","authorship":"A.E.Verrill, 1875","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Architeuthis sanctipauli","authorship":"(Vélain, 1877)","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Architeuthis stockii","authorship":"(T.W.Kirk, 1882)","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Architeuthis verrilli","authorship":"T.W.Kirk, 1882","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Dinoteuthis proboscideus","authorship":"More, 1875","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Dubioteuthis physeteris","authorship":"Joubin, 1900","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Loligo hartingii","authorship":"A.E.Verrill, 1875","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Megaloteuthis harveyi","authorship":"Kent, 1874","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Megateuthus martensii","authorship":"Hilgendorf, 1880","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Mouchezis sanctipauli","authorship":"Vélain, 1877","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Plectoteuthis grandis","authorship":"Owen, 1881","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"},{"name":"Steenstrupia stockii","authorship":"T.W.Kirk, 1882","status":"synonym","source_release_id":"gbif@2026-11-11"}],"countries":[{"kind":"country","code":"NZ","name":"New Zealand","slug":"new-zealand","establishment":null,"record_count":141,"source_release_id":"gbif_occ@2026-11-11"},{"kind":"country","code":"AU","name":"Australia","slug":"australia","establishment":null,"record_count":96,"source_release_id":"gbif_occ@2026-11-11"},{"kind":"country","code":"JP","name":"Japan","slug":"japan","establishment":null,"record_count":52,"source_release_id":"gbif_occ@2026-11-11"},{"kind":"country","code":"US","name":"United 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(2012). The giant squid, Architeuthis dux Steenstrup, 1857 (Mollusca: Cephalopoda): the making of an iconic specimen . NatSCA News no. 23: 16–20.","attribution_text":"Natural History Museum, London · CC BY 2.5 · via Wikimedia Commons","source_id":"commons","source_record_id":"File:Archie2.jpg","source_url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Archie2.jpg","sex":null,"life_stage":null,"quality_score":null,"is_primary":false,"display_ok":true,"stored_key":"142.jpg"}],"text_blocks":[{"lang":"en","section":"intro","body_text":"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.\nThe 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.","source_id":"enwiki","source_url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_squid","revision":1384129595,"licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","licence_url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/","licence_tier":"amber","share_alike":true,"display_ok":true,"attribution":"Wikipedia contributors, “Giant squid”","retrieved_at":"2026-11-11"}],"external_ids":[{"source":"gbif","label":"GBIF","external_id":"2290184","url":"https://www.gbif.org/species/2290184","match_type":"exact_accepted","confidence":1},{"source":"wikidata","label":"Wikidata","external_id":"Q13537131","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q13537131","match_type":"exact_accepted","confidence":1},{"source":"enwiki","label":"Wikipedia","external_id":"Giant squid","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_squid","match_type":"external_id","confidence":1},{"source":"ncbi","label":"NCBI Taxonomy","external_id":"256136","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=256136","match_type":"external_id","confidence":1},{"source":"itis","label":"ITIS","external_id":"556512","url":"https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=556512","match_type":"external_id","confidence":1},{"source":"eol","label":"Encyclopedia of Life","external_id":"488790","url":"https://eol.org/pages/488790","match_type":"external_id","confidence":1},{"source":"inaturalist","label":"iNaturalist","external_id":"253698","url":"https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/253698","match_type":"external_id","confidence":1},{"source":"worms","label":"WoRMS","external_id":"342218","url":"https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=342218","match_type":"external_id","confidence":1}],"sources":[{"source_id":"gbif","name":"GBIF Backbone Taxonomy","url":"https://www.gbif.org/dataset/d7dddbf4-2cf0-4f39-9b2a-bb099caae36c","licence":"CC BY 4.0","licence_url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","citation":"GBIF Secretariat. 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