Giant squid

The Humboldt squid (scientific name Dosidicus gigas) is a squid of family Ommastrephidae, of considerable size, which is in the waters of the Humboldt Current, off the South American coast. Because of its highly aggressive nature and the dark red color of the body, this squid is also called Diablo Rojo, the Red Devil.
Lives usually to a depth of 200-700 meters, although it is not uncommon to meet up to the surface, from the Land of Fire to California.
Dosidicus gigas is a large squid, up to two meters in length. Live in large groups, up to 1200 individuals, and can swim at a speed of 24 km / h thanks to the propulsion system provided by the siphon.
However it is not the only giant squid in circulation, indeed!
The real giant squid, which are considered a time mythical creatures, are squid of the family Architeuthidae, consisting of about eight species of the genus Architeuthis. A recent study failed to demonstrate that in fact they are all part of a single species. They are denizens of the deep ocean that can reach considerable size: recent estimates speak of a maximum size of 13 meters for females and 10 for males meters from the caudal fin to the end of the two long tentacles. Being second only to Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni ("colossal squid"), D. gigas remains one of the largest living organisms: the only mantle, excluding the tentacles of about 5 meters, is about 2 meters long (longer in females, less in males). There have been rumors that specimens over 25 meters long (including tentacles), but no animals of this size has been scientifically documented, mainly because of the abysmal depths in which they live.
On 30 September 2004, researchers at the National Science Museum of Japan and the Ogasawara Whale Watching Association captured the first images of a live giant squid in its natural environment. Some of the 556 photographs were published a year later. Subsequently, on 4 December 2006, the same team filmed for the first time a giant squid alive.
The record for size at the time so it holds Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni: until proven otherwise, this squid is the world's largest in terms of mass. It is known only in a few specimens, generally immature, and current estimates for this species give a maximum length of 12-14 m.

scientific classification
domain Eukaryota
kingdom Animalia
subkingdom Eumetazoa
branch Bilateria
superphylum Protostomia
(clade) Lophotrochozoa
phylum Mollusca
subphylum Conchifera
class Cephalopoda
subclass Coleoidea
superorder Decapodiformes
order Teuthida
suborder Oegopsina
family Cranchiidae
Genus Mesonychoteuthis
species M. hamiltoni