Giant Squid
© Pete Thomas Outdoors
Sado, Niigata - A four-meter-long daio ika giant squid has been found inside a fixed net off Sadogashima island, Niigata Prefecture.

Fisherman Shigenori Goto found the squid Wednesday morning. According to Goto, it was swimming in a net for catching buri yellowtails set about 70 meters deep and about 1 kilometer off the nearest port when he hauled it up at about 7 a.m. The squid died after being brought to the surface.

It was taken to the Niigata prefectural government's fishery and marine research institute in Niigata, where it was discovered to be male. The squid weighed about 150 kilograms.

According to the institute, the lives of giant squid are shrouded in mystery and it is very rare for a live one to be brought to the surface.

Giant squid are among the largest invertebrates in the world.

"When I hauled up the net, the squid slowly came floating up," Goto said. "This is the first time I've seen such a large squid."