Total length (with tentacles)13 m
1 hundredthsBridge spans
308 millionthsMarathon distances
65Cucumber lengths
Largest reliably measured specimens
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Giant Squid
The deep-sea legend that inspired the Kraken/Marine Life
The giant squid (Architeuthis dux) lives in the deep ocean and was basically cryptozoology's greatest hit until one was finally filmed alive in 2004. It has the largest eyes in the animal kingdom, each the size of a dinner plate, evolved to spot sperm whales in near-total darkness. Most of what we know about them comes from dead specimens washed ashore or pulled from whale stomachs.
Measurements
Mantle length2.25 m
489 trillionIron nuclei
7.5 hundredthsLighthouse heights
42.5Matchbox lengths
Body mass275 kg
2.8 millionHoneybee weights
6.1 hundredthsAmbulances
Eye diameter2.7 tenths m
5.09Matchbox lengths
12.7 billionthsGreat Walls of China
Largest eyes in the animal kingdom
Feeding tentacle length10 m
6.5 tenthsSubway cars
16.7 billionAspirin molecules
64.9 billionDiamond bond lengths
The two long tentacles used for prey capture
Arm length3 m
6.67Necklace lengths
1 tenthsLighthouse heights
The eight shorter arms
Sucker diameter5.3 hundredths m
6.2 tenthsShuttlecock lengths
7.9 hundredthsFlute lengths
Suckers are lined with sharp, tooth-like rings