History of Squid in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 3, 2024

Squids are marine cephalopods with elongated bodies, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles. They belong to the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida, although the term "squid" is often used more broadly within the Neocoleoidea subclass. Like other cephalopods, squids have distinct heads, bilateral symmetry, and mantles. While mostly soft-bodied, they possess a small internal chitinous skeleton called a gladius or pen.

1978: Discovery of Large Squid Claws on USS Stein

In 1978, evidence suggesting the existence of a then-unknown large squid species was found when sharp, curved claws on squid tentacles were discovered embedded in the rubber coating of the USS Stein.

2002: FAO Report on Global Cephalopod Catch

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that in 2002 the global cephalopod catch reached 3,173,272 tonnes. A significant portion of this, 75.8% or 2,189,206 tonnes, consisted of squid.

2003: Discovery of a Large Colossal Squid Specimen

In 2003, a significant discovery was made with the finding of a large specimen of Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, the colossal squid. This species, potentially reaching 10 m in length, became recognized as the largest invertebrate.

February 2007: Record-Breaking Colossal Squid Captured

In February 2007, the largest squid ever documented was caught by a New Zealand fishing vessel. The colossal squid, weighing 495 kg and measuring around 10 m, was found off the coast of Antarctica and had eyes larger than footballs.

2018: Publication of Squid Phylogeny Research

In 2018, Sanchez et al. published a research paper on squid phylogeny, using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA marker sequences. The study highlighted the challenges in establishing a robust phylogeny for squids.