Message on Giant Squids

From the mailbag:

Dear Mr Drinnon

I have recently discovered your article about the monotypes Architeuthis and Mesonychoteuthius on http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.de/

And I must say, I'm pretty happy about your survey, for it is one of the few circulating, that takes a critical approach on the maximum size dilemma.

Well from the standpoint of an historian that originally planed to study biology, I have to make clear hat the medieval image of the Kraken does not really correspond to the modern image of a huge cepahlopod at all.

But I absolutely share your critical opinion onwards.

Even the largest beak of Mesonychoteuthis found in a sperm whale's stomach, exceeding the one of the now famous 2007 catch, does not automatically indicate (like some experts say; I'm excluding Mr O'Shea here), that Mesonychoteuthis will reach a maximum weight of about 1000 pounds. This is is totally suspicious, for we have absolutely no valid data (we would need a bunch of specimen to work on this thesis), that the beak size of specimen of the same size is variating or not.

Affectionate regards

Luddwig Lochschmidt

I am grateful for this letter and I think the point is well made. My thanks to Mr. Lochschmidt.