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Monster Shark and Colossal Squid (News Report)

Monster shark caught in the UK (27 November 2002)
A massive shark has been caught off the coast of the UK.

This huge thresher shark was accidentally netted by Cornish fishermen trawling for slightly smaller snacks.

The monster weighed in at 235kg and was 4m long.

Sharks caught like this would usually be tagged and released but because this one was already dead the fishermen decided to take it home.

But the fish was so massive they couldn't pull it up on deck so they had to tie it to the side of the boat and tow it back to shore.

Now the lucky fisherman have sold this sharp toothed predator to a fishmongers in Oxford who have said they'll chop it up into 1,000 tasty shark steaks.

It's unusual to catch such big fish in UK waters but it's a long way off the world record. The biggest shark ever caught weighed three times the size of this beast.

Colossal squid with "parrot's beak" caught (3 April 2003)
A colossal squid with eyes the size ofdinner plates and teeth like a parrot's has been caught off the coast ofAntarctica near New Zealand.

It's only half-grown but scientists think it's a real catch because it's only the second colossal squid ever found with all its bits still there.

Fact File

Colossal Squid Facts
Pieces of six others have been found since it was first discovered in 1925.

Finds food by glowing in the dark waters to light up prey.

Its massive eyes are the biggest of any animal.

It has eight arms and two tentacles.

It's different to a giant squid because it's much bigger!

The colossal cephalopod - the official name for squid - is lethal too.

Its 25 teeth-like hooks are as sharp as razors and can turn around 360 degrees!

An expert in squid, Steve O'Shea, has seen about 105 giant ones. But he described this colossal squid as "pretty sensational".

It weighs 150kg (330lb) but when they are fully-grown, they are bigger than a double decker bus. Since this one was only a teenager in squid terms, comparisons between body size are hard.

But colossal squid bodies and tentacles are much, much bigger than those belonging to a giant squid.

The giant squid has been the main character in lots of sailors' stories and myths. But experts say the colossal squid would frighten the bravest sailor and send a giant squid scurrying away!

The discovery has left scientists wondering what lurks even deeper in the world's waters that we haven't yet discovered.

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