# Giant squid (*Architeuthis dux*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/giant-squid  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

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

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 272.2 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Height | 13.1 m |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Recorded in | 26 countries |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Mollusca
- class: Cephalopoda
- order: Oegopsida
- family: Architeuthidae
- genus: Architeuthis
- species: *Architeuthis 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*

## Where it has been recorded

Countries with openly licensed sighting records on GBIF (records in brackets). Recorded sightings, not a definitive range.

New Zealand (141), Australia (96), Japan (52), United States (22), Canada (20), Spain (11), French Southern Territories (11), South Africa (10), Norway (9), United Kingdom (7), Argentina (6), Denmark (6), Portugal (5), Réunion (5), Antarctica (4), Bahamas (4), Ireland (4), Namibia (3), Brazil (2), Netherlands (2), France (1), India (1), Italy (1), Norfolk Island (1), Puerto Rico (1), St. Helena (1)

## Common questions

### 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

- [GBIF Backbone Taxonomy](https://www.gbif.org/dataset/d7dddbf4-2cf0-4f39-9b2a-bb099caae36c), 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](https://www.wikidata.org/), CC0 1.0, live API 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata, the free knowledge base.
- [GBIF occurrence aggregates (CC0 and CC BY records only)](https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search), 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](https://commons.wikimedia.org/), Per file, live API 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Licence and creator recorded per file.
- [English Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/), CC BY-SA 4.0, live API 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Cite as: Giant squid (Architeuthis dux). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/giant-squid