The giant squid (Architeuthis princeps), up to 60 feet in length and weighing as much as 1,000 pounds, is the largest living invertebrate. A carnivorous mollusk with a soft, boneless body, the giant squid is also the fastest invertebrate, gaining speed and steering as it expels water through a muscular funnel-like tube connected to its head. Adding to its status, this is the animal with the largest eyes (two of them, about 10 inches wide).
The body of the giant squid extends from the back of its head, tapering into two fins; eight arms and two tentacles, each with rows of round suckers, extend from the front of its head. The squid lives in oceans throughout the world at a depth between 1,000 and 3,300 feet, where it is a favorite snack of the largest living toothed mammal, the sperm whale.
