Why can't giant squid be kept in aquariums?

With their massive size, short lifespan and ability to live at depths of up to 1,000 m, keeping giant squid in captivity is nearly impossible.

A giant squid carcass washed up on Golden Mile Beach in Britannia Bay, South Africa. Photo: Adéle Grosse — A giant squid carcass washed up on Golden Mile Beach in Britannia Bay, South Africa. Photo: *Adéle Grosse*

Many animal lovers want to see live creatures up close, but in many situations this is impractical, impossible, or unethical. Zoos and aquariums can play an important role in preserving vulnerable species in the wild, but some species cannot thrive in captivity. One such species is the giant squid.

Giant squid ( Architeuthis dux ) are large deep-sea animals. They can grow as large as buses, with eyes the size of dinner plates. Despite their soft bodies, they also have a strange, hard, bird-like beak for dissecting their prey.

The largest giant squid ever recorded by science was about 43 feet long and weighed nearly a ton, according to Smithsonian Ocean . The first reason this animal is not suitable for aquarium life is right in its name: They are truly "giants." Limited and small spaces can have many negative effects on many wild animals, sometimes leading to zoochosis, a syndrome in which captive animals engage in repetitive behaviors.

Ethical issues aside, recreating the natural environment of giant squid in an aquarium is also extremely difficult. The world's largest aquarium is 125 meters wide and 11 meters deep, but giant squid often live at depths of up to about 1,000 meters, many times deeper than what aquariums can reach.

Even if a deep enough aquarium were built, keeping giant squid in captivity would probably fail because so little is known about their lifestyle. For animals living in captivity to thrive, aquariums and zoos need carefully regulated feeding and care programs. To provide such programs, experts must first understand giant squid.

Giant squid primarily prey on deep-sea fish and other squid. They hunt by grabbing their prey with their tentacles and holding it in place with serrated suckers, according to the MarineBio Conservation Society. This is difficult to replicate in an artificial environment because it requires feeding more deep-sea creatures.

Another problem is that it is difficult to find live giant squid to put in an aquarium. Most of the images of giant squid are of dead animals. Furthermore, even if giant squid are successfully captured, they may not survive long in carefully designed tanks because of their short lifespan.

Squids have short lifespans, with most species only living for about one to three years. Scientists aren't sure exactly how long giant squid live, but they believe they live no more than five years and only reproduce once, according to Smithsonian Ocean .

Thu Thao (According to IFL Science )

Source link