Giant-squid catch is no fish tale

A New Zealand fishing crew has caught an adult colossal squid, a sea creature with eyes as big as dinner plates and razor-sharp hooks on its tentacles, an official said Thursday.

New Zealand Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton said the squid, weighing an estimated 990 pounds, took two hours to land in Antarctic waters. Known by the scientific name Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, the squid are estimated to grow up to 46 feet long and have been one of the most mysterious ocean creatures. The frozen squid is to be transported to New Zealand’s national museum to be preserved for scientific study.