MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Scientists surprised by giant squid found on Tasmania

Australian zoologists say it remains a mystery how a 200-kilogram giant squid came to be washed up on Tasmania's west coast. The squid was found by a member of the public on a beach near Strahan early this week.

Zoologists from the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery say the squid's mantle and body is more than three metres long and they estimate its full size with tentacles would have been seven metres, with a weight of around 200kg. They believe it is the first of its kind to be washed up on Australia's the west coast. The Museum's senior curator of invertebrate zoology Genefor Walker-Smith says it is exciting to be able to learn from the rare specimen, but it is still not clear how it died. There are no marks to suggest it was attacked by anything,she said. It could have just died of old age. "We will be carrying out a number of tissue tests and take pictures and measurements on the animal today.The squid was scheduled to be taken to Hobart for further examination and preservation. Museum curator David Pemberton said the Archotheuthis cephalopod was in very good condition and possibly had been dead for less than a day.