A Unique Advantage for Giant Eyes in Giant Squid

The giant squid has the largest eyes of any living animal. Although they are not the largest living animals, their eyes are even bigger than those of whales, and are about the size of a soccer ball. There are other large animals that live at similar depths that giant squids do, but none of them have eyes close to the size of the squids. It has also been found that larger eyes equal a small field of vision, meaning that in some ways squid may not even be gaining an advantage with their gigantic eyes. This indicates that squids use their eyes differently than other species around them.

One feature of large eyes that does help giant squids is that large eyes can see large shapes against bioluminescence up to 500m away due to their enlarged pupil. Scientists discovered that the ocean depth can impact which types of eyes are superior, and 600m deep larger eyes perform very well in their ability to view objects from far away. When large animals move past small bioluminescent animals the bioluminescent animals will light up. This illuminates large animals and makes them visible to the squid. Sperm whales are a predator of giant squids, and scientists believe that the giant squid's eyes are designed to detect whales from far away so they will have time to escape. Since sperm whales have echolocation that can locate the squid faster than the squid can locate the whale, the unique eyes of the squid level the playing field.

In studying squids, scientists have found that squids will try to position themselves at a depth where there is food and their eyes are giving them an advantage. This sweet spot also makes it more likely that they can find a mate, since they will try to be in the same areas. An extinct animal that also had extremely large eyes is the ichthyosaur, and after this squid eye research it is theorized that the ichthyosaur also used its eyes to spot other prehistoric predators from far away deep under water.

Sean McKay (8)

Nilsson, Dan-Eric, et al. “A Unique Advantage for Giant Eyes in Giant Squid - Cell Press.” Current Biology, Elsevier, 24 Apr. 2012, www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(12)00182-0.pdf

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 15, 2023 at 8:42 PM

    Hey Sean! It is so interesting that only this squid has eyes to this magnitude. I wonder why it evolved in this direction as a opposed to another way that wouldn't obstruct part of the field of vision. It's cool that it can help with bioluminescence though.
    Alexis Carson

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    1. AnonymousNovember 16, 2023 at 6:19 PM

      yea it is interesting that no other animals have developed this. I wonder if the other animals that may have had eyes like this that were too large for their environments and they were unfit so they died

      Delete
  2. AnonymousNovember 16, 2023 at 12:46 PM

    Hi Sean. This is really interesting. I didn't realize that the depth of the ocean had an effect on eye sight. I also think this is a very cool evolutionary reaction that the squid has had to help avoid predators and hunt for prey or mates. I do wonder though if the pupil of the squid can dilate and contract like our pupils to adjust for when the squid moves higher or lower in the ocean.
    -Sid Warrier

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    1. AnonymousNovember 16, 2023 at 7:05 PM

      hey sid,
      at deep ocean levels only some light gets through so that changes what can be seen. Also im reading that squids are closer to clams then humans evolutionarily, so their eyes may not operate like ours with the ability to dilate unless they evolved convergently.

      Delete
  3. Ryan HorriganNovember 17, 2023 at 12:10 PM

    Hey Sean! This is incredibly interesting. It really is amazing to see how alien the organisms in the deep ocean appear. It really is incredible to see how life is able to adapt to all different kinds of environments.

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    Replies
    1. AnonymousNovember 18, 2023 at 12:26 PM

      Thanks Ryan. As we have barely discovered much of the deep ocean yet, there is high change that there are more anomalies down there too. Pretty exciting!

      Delete
    2. AnonymousNovember 19, 2023 at 8:09 PM

      Hey Sean, I found your blog post to very intriguing. It is pretty ironic that the species that contains the largest eyes out of all marine animals have poor vision. I think evolution is really cool in regard to this matter. I wonder, are there anymore beneficial traits to having such large eyes?
      -Matthew Rosen

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