Rare giant squid netted in Gulf of Mexico

NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- A giant squid has been netted in the Gulf of Mexico, the first of its kind to be landed in 55 years, scientists say.
U.S. government scientists caught the 20-foot-long, 103-pound giant squid while trawling 1,500 feet down, the Houston Chronicle reported.
"This was beyond everyone's expectations," said Deborah Epperson, a U.S. Minerals Management Service biologist.
The recent catch, off the Louisiana coast, marks the first giant squid found in the gulf since a dead one turned up on the surface in 1954. The latest catch had been alive but died as it was being brought to the surface because the squid cannot survive such quick changes in water depth.