Biologists Discover the True, Massive Sizes of 25 Marine Creatures of the Deep

The massive creatures that lurk within the ocean have long seemed larger than life. Now, researchers have analyzed the body size for 25 marine species and have found that the current average measurements for these creatures are incorrect.

"Several years ago I noticed that people kept saying that giant squids reached 60 feet in length, which is amazingly long," said Craig McClain, one of the researchers, in a news release. "When I started actually looking at the data, I found that the estimate was actually quite unrealistic."

So why is it unrealistic? When squids die, their muscle fibers loosen and stretch. This could account for the measurement of specimens found washed onshore in the 1800s. That said, this also means that estimates were inaccurate, which is why researchers decided to take another look at marine species.

"It's one part databasing effort and one part historical research: double-checking museum specimens; talking with other scientists and collectors; and even checking eBay for specimens for sale," said McClain.

The species that they studied ranged from the well-known Great White Shark to Giant Octopus to walrus. They also included Giant Tube Worms and the Colossal Squid.

"It's fascinating as to why there is size variation [and] why everything isn't less skewed," said Meghan Balk, co-author of the new study. "How many sizes does an organism go through from the time it's born to the time it's an adult?"

The researchers also considered environmental factors that would give rise to bigger species, and what situations would cause larger size to be beneficial. The scientists contacted fisheries, marine centers and other scientists in order to complete the research. In addition, they used social media to help gather information.

In the end, the scientists managed to create new measurements for species. That said, a lot of questions still remained unanswered due to a lack of research or lack of access. However, the study does pave the way for discussions about collecting and sharing data to get a broader understanding of a species.

"Precise, accurate, and quantified measurements matter at both a philosophical and pragmatic level," said McClain. "Saying something is approximately 'this big,' while holding your arms out won't cut it, nor will inflating how large some of these animals are."

The findings are published in the journal PeerJ.

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).