Cephalopod

Cephalopod size

The giant squid (Architeuthis sp.) was for a long time thought to be the largest extant cephalopod. It is now known that the Colossal Squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) attains an even greater size.

Size has been one of the most interesting aspects of cephalopod science to the general public. This article lists the largest cephalopods from various groups, sorted in order of mantle length, total length, weight, and shell diameter. Extinct taxa are also included.

1 Mantle length
2 Total length
3 Weight
4 Shell diameter
5 Extinct taxa
6 References

Mantle length

Haliphron atlanticus (ML: 0.69 m), the largest known octopus specimen.

The Colossal Squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) caught in early 2007 is the largest cephalopod ever recorded.

Octopoda (octopuses)
Species	Maximum mantle length	References	Notes
Haliphron atlanticus	0.69 m	O'Shea (2004)
Enteroctopus dofleini	0.6 m	Norman (2000:214)
Sepiida (cuttlefish)
Species	Maximum mantle length	References	Notes
Sepia apama	0.5 m	Reid et al. (2005:68)
Sepia latimanus	0.5 m	Reid et al. (2005:92)
Sepia officinalis	0.49 m	Reid et al. (2005:99)
Sepia pharaonis	0.42 m	Reid et al. (2005:107)
Sepiolida (bobtail squid)
Species	Maximum mantle length	References	Notes
Euprymna stenodactyla	0.19 m	Okutani (1995)
Spirulida (Ram's Horn Squid) (only one extant species)
Species	Maximum mantle length	References	Notes
Spirula spirula	rarely exceeds 0.045 m	Reid et al. (2005:211)
Teuthida (squid)
Species	Maximum mantle length	References	Notes
Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni	4 m (estimate)	O'Shea (2005a)	Estimate based on largest known beak (LRL: 49 mm).
Galiteuthis phyllura	2.65-2.75 m (estimate)	Nesis (1985)	Estimate based on 0.4 m long arm and 1.15 m tentacle.
Architeuthis sp.^†	2.25 m	O'Shea (2005a)
Moroteuthis robusta	2 m	Norman (2000:174)	Kubodera et al. (1998) give maximum of at least 1.615 m.
Megalocranchia fisheri	1.8 m	Tsuchiya & Okutani (1993)
Taningia danae	1.7 m	Nesis (1982)
Dosidicus gigas	1.5 m	Norman (2000:165)
Kondakovia longimana	probably 1.15+ m (estimate)	O'Shea (2005b)	Longest confirmed specimen measures 0.85 m (O'Shea, 2005b). Total length to at least 2.3 m (Carrington, 2000).
Thysanoteuthis rhombus	1 m	Roper et al. (1984)	Commonly grows to a mantle length of 0.6 m (Roper et al., 1984).
Vampyromorphida (Vampire Squid) (only one extant species)
Species	Maximum mantle length	References	Notes
Vampyroteuthis infernalis	0.13 m	Nesis (1982)

^† The taxonomy of the giant squid has not been entirely resolved. Lumpers and splitters may propose as many as eight species or as few as one. No genetic or physical basis for distinguishing between the named species has been proposed.

Total length

A long-arm squid (cf.Magnapinna) filmed in the Gulf of Mexico.

Octopoda (octopuses) Not to be confused with armspan, which is approximately double the total length.
Species	Maximum total length	References	Notes
Enteroctopus dofleini	> 6.1 m	Cosgrove (1987)
Haliphron atlanticus	4 m (estimate)	O'Shea (2004)	Estimate based on incomplete 2.90 m specimen.
Teuthida (squid) Total length including long feeding tentacles.
Species	Maximum total length	References	Notes
Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni	14 m (estimate)	O'Shea (2005a)	Estimate based on largest known beak (LRL: 49 mm).
Architeuthis sp.	13 m (female)	O'Shea (2005a)	Measured post mortem and relaxed. Older records were exaggerated by stretching of the tentacles (O'Shea, 2005a).
cf.Magnapinna	at least 8 m (estimate)	Bolstad (2003)	Estimate based on video evidence.
Asperoteuthis acanthoderma	5.5 m	Tsuchiya & Okutani (1993)	Length of immature specimen measuring 0.45 m ML. Largest known specimen (0.78 m ML) would presumably be longer if it were complete (Okutani, 1995).
Moroteuthis robusta	over 4 m	Verrill (1876)
Galiteuthis phyllura	over 4 m (estimate)	Nesis (1985)	Estimate based on 0.40 m long arm and 1.15 m tentacle.

Weight

North Pacific Giant Octopus, Enteroctopus dofleini.

Octopoda (octopuses)
Species	Maximum weight	References	Notes
Haliphron atlanticus	75 kg (estimate)	O'Shea (2004)	Estimate based on incomplete 61.0 kg specimen.
Enteroctopus dofleini	71 kg	Cosgrove (1987)	Weight of live specimen. There exists a highly dubious record of a 272 kg specimen (High, 1976).
Sepiida (cuttlefish)
Species	Maximum weight	References	Notes
Sepia apama	in excess of 10.5 kg	Reid et al. (2005:68)
Sepia latimanus	10 kg	Reid et al. (2005:92)
Sepia pharaonis	5 kg	Reid et al. (2005:107)
Sepia officinalis	4 kg	Reid et al. (2005:99)
Teuthida (squid)
Species	Maximum weight	References	Notes
Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni	495 kg	[Anonymous] (2007)	Weight of mature specimen caught in early 2007. Originally estimated to weigh 450 kg (Anderton, 2007).
Architeuthis sp.	275 kg (female)	O'Shea (2005a)

Shell diameter

Nautilus shells: N. macromphalus (left), A. scrobiculatus (centre), N. pompilius (right).

Argonauta hians shell, 121.5 mm in diameter.

Internal shell of Spirula spirula.

Nautilida (nautiluses) (all extant species listed)
Species	Maximum shell diameter	References	Notes
Nautilus pompilius pompilius	268 mm	[1]	Pisor (2005:93) lists maximum shell diameter of 254.0 mm. Nautilus repertus is treated here in synonymy with N. pompilius pompilius. Pisor (2005:93) lists 230.0 mm record for N. repertus.
Nautilus belauensis	226 mm	Jereb (2005:54)
Allonautilus scrobiculatus	215.0 mm	Pisor (2005:93)
Nautilus stenomphalus	201.0 mm	Pisor (2005:93)
Allonautilus perforatus	around 180 mm	Jereb (2005:55)
Nautilus macromphalus	180.0 mm	Pisor (2005:93)
Nautilus pompilius suluensis	148.0 mm	Pisor (2005:93)
Octopoda (octopuses) (all extant Argonauta species listed) Females of the genus Argonauta produce a calcareous eggcase in which they reside.
Species	Maximum shell diameter	References	Notes
Argonauta argo	300.0 mm	Pisor (2005:12)
Argonauta nodosa	292.0 mm	Pisor (2005:12)
Argonauta pacifica^‡	220.0 mm	Pisor (2005:12)
Argonauta hians	121.5 mm		Pisor (2005:12) lists maximum shell diameter of 112.6 mm.
Argonauta cornuta^‡	98.6 mm	Pisor (2005:12)
Argonauta nouryi	95.5 mm	Pisor (2005:12)
Argonauta bottgeri	67.0 mm	Pisor (2005:12)
Spirulida (Ram's Horn Squid) (only one extant species) The Ram's Horn Squid possesses a chambered internal shell, which it uses for buoyancy control.
Species	Maximum shell diameter	References	Notes
Spirula spirula	28.8 mm	[2]	Pisor (2005:108) lists maximum shell diameter of 26.9 mm.

^‡ Species status questionable.

Extinct taxa

Cast of Parapuzosia seppenradensis

Ammonoidea (ammonites)
Species	Maximum shell diameter	References	Notes
Parapuzosia seppenradensis	2.55 m (estimate)	Kennedy & Kaplan (1995)	Estimate based on 1.95 m diameter specimen with an incomplete living chamber.
Belemnoidea (belemnites)
Species	Maximum rostrum length	References	Notes
Megateuthis gigantea	0.46 m	Eyden (2003)	The whole belemnite is estimated to have been 3-5 m long.
Nautiloidea (nautiloids)
Species	Maximum shell length	References	Notes
Cameroceras sp.	11 m (estimate)	Teichert & Kummel (1960)
Vampyromorphida (vampire squid)
Species	Maximum mantle length	References	Notes
Tusoteuthis longa	over 1.8 m (estimate)	Eyden (2004)

References

[Anonymous] 2007. Colossal squid may be headed for oven. Associated Press.
Anderton, H.J. 2007. Amazing specimen of world's largest squid in NZ. New Zealand Government website.
Bolstad, K. 2003. Deep-Sea Cephalopods: An Introduction and Overview. The Octopus News Magazine Online.
Carrington, D. 2000. Big squid breaks record. BBC News, July 3, 2000.
Cosgrove, J.A. 1987. Aspects of the Natural History of Octopus dofleini, the Giant Pacific Octopus. M.Sc. Thesis. Department of Biology, University of Victoria (Canada), 101 pp.
Eyden, P. 2003. Belemnites: A Quick Look. The Octopus News Magazine Online.
Eyden, P. 2004. Cretaceous Giant Squid. The Octopus News Magazine Online.
High, W.L. 1976. The giant Pacific octopus. U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Fisheries Review 38(9): 17-22.
Jereb, P. 2005. Family Nautilidae. In: P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper, eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and Illustrated catalogue of species known to date. Volume 1. Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes. No. 4, Vol. 1. Rome, FAO. pp. 51–55.
(German) Kennedy, W.J. & U. Kaplan 1995. Parapuzosia (Parapuzosia) seppenradensis (LANDOIS) und die Ammoniten fauna der Dülmener Schichten, Westfalen. Geol. Paläont. Westf. 33: 127 p., 43 pls.
Kubodera, T., U. Piatkowski, T. Okutani & M.R. Clarke. 1998. Taxonomy and Zoogeography of the Family Onychoteuthidae (Cephalopoda: Oegopsida). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 586: 277-291.
(Russian) Nesis, K.N. 1982. Abridged key to the cephalopod mollusks of the world's ocean. Light and Food Industry Publishing House, Moscow. 385+ii pp. [Translated into English by B. S. Levitov, ed. by L. A. Burgess 1987. Cephalopods of the world. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, NJ. 351pp.]
(Russian) Nesis, K.N. 1985. A Giant Squid in the Sea of Okhotsk. Priroda 10: 112-113. [Translated from Russian by Yuri Nektorenko.]
Norman, M.D. 2000. Cephalopods: A World Guide. ConchBooks.
Norman, M.D. & A. Reid 2000. A Guide to Squid, Cuttlefish and Octopuses of Australasia. CSIRO Publishing.
Okutani, T. 1995. Cuttlefish and squids of the world in color. Publication for the 30th anniversary of the foundation of the National Cooperative Association of Squid Processors. 185 pp.
O'Shea, S. 2004. The giant octopus Haliphron atlanticus (Mollusca : Octopoda) in New Zealand waters. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 31(1): 7-13.
O'Shea, S. 2005a. Giant Squid and Colossal Squid Fact Sheet. The Octopus News Magazine Online.
O'Shea, S. 2005b. Kondakovia longimana. In: Giant Squid and Colossal Squid Fact Sheet. The Octopus News Magazine Online.
Pisor, D.L. 2005. Registry of World Record Size Shells: Fourth Edition - 2005. Snail's Pace Productions and ConchBooks.
Reid, A., P. Jereb, & C.F.E. Roper 2005. Family Sepiidae. In: P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper, eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of species known to date. Volume 1. Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes. No. 4, Vol. 1. Rome, FAO. pp. 57–152.
Roper C.F.E., M.J. Sweeney & C.E. Nauen 1984. Cephalopods of the world. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, Italy.
Teichert, C. & B. Kummel 1960. Size of Endocerid Cephalopods. Breviora Mus. Comp. Zool. 128: 1–7.
Tsuchiya, K. & T. Okutani 1993. Rare and interesting squids in Japan -X. Recent occurrences of big squids from Okinawa. Venus 52: 299-311.
Verrill, A.E. 1876. Notes on gigantic cephalopods, a correction. American Journal of Science and Arts 12(3): 236-237.