Instruct: Given a question, retrieve relevant documents that answer the question.
Query: What is the biggest species of squid?
The colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, from Greek mesos (middle), onycho (claw, nail), and teuthis (squid)), sometimes called the Antarctic squid or giant cranch squid, is believed to be the largest squid species in terms of mass. It is the only known member of the genus Mesonychoteuthis. It is known from only a few specimens, and current estimates put its maximum size at 12–14m (39–46ft) long and weighing possibly up to 750 kilograms (1,650lb),[3][4] based on analysis of smaller and immature specimens, making it the largest-known invertebrate.
Galiteuthis glacialis is a species of glass squid from the Antarctic Convergence. It is one of the most abundant species of squid in the waters around Antarctica. It is a moderately large squid, reaching a maximum mantle length of .
The little flying squid (Todarodes pusillus) is a species of squid, one of the arrow squids of the genus "Todarodes, in the subfamily "Todarodinae of the flying squid family Ommastrephidae. It is a small species from the waters around northern Australia and Indonesia.
Ommastrephinae includes the largest species of squids belonging to the family Ommastrephidae, Humboldt squid ("Dosidicus gigas") which can grow to in mantle length (ML). It also contains the smallest squid species belonging to the family, the glass squid ("Hyaloteuthis pelagica") which has a mantle length of only up to . Ommastrephinae are mostly pelagic members of the family Ommastrephidae. All species of this subfamily contain photophores whose locations vary by species. Some species of the subfamily (notably "Sthenoteuthis" and "Ommastrephes") are known for their behavior of leaping out of the water (hence the common names 'flying squid').
Sandalops melancholicus, the sandal-eyed squid or melancholy cranch squid, is a small species of glass squid. It is known to reach a mantle length of 11 cm. It is distributed in the tropical and subtropical oceans around the world. It is the only species in the genus "Sandalops" but some authorities suggest that this may be a species complex rather than a monotypic genus.
The use of data loggers at sea that record ingestion of water against time (providing a likely time of feeding) suggests that albatrosses predominantly feed during the day. Analysis of the squid beaks regurgitated by albatrosses has shown that many of the squid eaten are too large to have been caught alive, and include mid-water species likely to be beyond the reach of albatross, suggesting that, for some species (like the wandering albatross), scavenged squid may be an important part of the diet. The source of these dead squid is a matter of debate; some certainly comes from squid fisheries, but in nature it primarily comes from the die-off that occurs after squid spawning and the vomit of squid-eating whales (sperm whales, pilot whales and southern bottlenose whales). The diet of other species, like the black-browed albatross or the grey-headed albatross, is rich with smaller species of squid that tend to sink after death, and scavenging is not assumed to play a large role in their diet. The waved albatross has been observed practising kleptoparasitism, harassing boobies to steal their food, making it the only member of its order to do so regularly.
This species preys on fishes, crustaceans and cephalopods. Smaller squids have crustaceans as the predominant element in their diet while larger squid, larger than 200mm mantle length, feed mainly on cephalopods. This species is also preyed upon by several fish species, sea birds and marine mammals, up to the size of sperm whales. The adult Antarctic flying squids may bear large parasite loads of encysted nematodes and cestodes in their mantle tissue.
Bigfin reef squids are closely related to the Caribbean reef squid ("Sepioteuthis sepioidea"), a species noted for its complex social interactions. Like Caribbean reef squids, bigfin reef squids also exhibit elaborate mating displays.
Cranchia scabra is a species of glass squid. It is the only species in the genus, and is fairly small (about 150 mm). The mantle is covered by large, multi-pointed cartilagenous tubercles. When disturbed, the squid often pulls its head and arms into the mantle cavity and folds its fins tightly against the mantle to form a turgid ball. The tubercules, presumably, provide some type of protection, but it is unclear what predators are affected and how. In addition, the squid may ink into the mantle cavity, making the ball opaque. This was thought to be an aberrant behavior due to stress and confinement of shipboard aquaria until the same inking behavior was seen in cranchiids from submersibles. The function of this behavior is unknown.
Ornithoteuthis volatilis, the shiny bird squid, is a squid from the subfamily Ommastrephinae, the flying squids, of the family Ommastrephidae part of the pelagic squid order Oegopsida. It is a tropical and sub-tropical species which is widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific oceans. It is slightly larger than the closely related species "Ornithoteuthis antillarum" of the Atlantic Ocean.
It is one of the planet’s most economically significant invertebrate species. As many as 2.2 billion pounds of Argentine shorfin squid have been captured in only one fishing season. From 1988-2003 about 700,000 tons of Argentine shortfin squid were captured . Argentine shortfin squid are so important as they make up the second largest fishery in the world by weight . Fisheries use bright lights to attract the squid to the surface at night, and then capturing them with large nets. Fisheries additionally use both trawlers and jigging vessels to capture the shortfin squid. Although so many Argentine shortfin squid are removed from the coasts every year, populations bounce back, probably because of their short lifespan 
. They are thus labeled a species of least concern. That being said however, since 2010 stocks have steadily been declining. It is suggested that environmental changes instead of fishery impacts have caused this decline. It is essential that the nations that house this species must cooperate in order to ensure that the species is used by fisheries in a sustainable manner.
Onykia robsoni, the rugose hooked squid, is a species of squid in the family Onychoteuthidae. It occurs in the Antarctic Ocean, at an estimated depth of 250–550 meters. The mantle of this species grows to a length of 75 cm. The species has been suggested as a junior synonym of "Onykia carriboea", the tropical clubhook squid, due to similarities between the species.
Eucleoteuthis is a monotypic genus of squid from the family Ommastrephidae, the only species is Eucleoteuthis luminosa, the striped flying squid or luminous flying squid.
Like some other cephalopods, bigfin reef squids are capable of metachrosis – rapidly changing body colouration and patterns through voluntary control of chromatophores. They also possess iridophores (particularly in the head), a form of structural colouration that produces iridescent metallic greens and red when illuminated. They are also possibly one of two squid species with leucophores. Leucophores are a reflector-type structural colouration that reflects ambient light, such that they are white in white light, green in green light, and so on. Bigfin reef squids are remarkable for having the ability to produce complex body patterns from the moment they hatch. In comparison, other loliginid squid species do not produce complex body patterns at less than four months of age. The patterns produced by bigfin reef squids, however, are less diverse than those of the Caribbean reef squids.
The bigfin reef squid is the first squid species to have been cultured for more than one generation. It is remarkable for its ability to readily adapt to being confined in tanks, and is one of the few squid species of which the entire life span has been observed under laboratory conditions.
Illex illecebrosus, commonly known as the northern shortfin squid or Boston squid, is a species of neritic squids in the family Ommastrephidae. They are found in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, from off the coast of eastern North America to Greenland, Iceland, and west of Ireland and the United Kingdom. They are a highly migratory and short-lived species, with lifespans of less than a year. They are commercially important and are fished extensively (primarily by the United States and Canada), mostly for the Canadian and Japanese markets. Northern shortfin squid is a migratory species of squid with a distribution ranging from Florida Straits to Newfoundland in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. The species is native to Canada, Greenland, Iceland and United States. The species has an average lifespan between 1–1.5 years in which most live less than a year. The location of the fishery of the squid is mainly in Mid-Atlantic Bight from between summer and fall.
Taningia danae, the Dana octopus squid, is a species of squid in the family Octopoteuthidae. It is one of the largest known squid species, reaching a mantle length of and total length of . The largest known specimen, a mature female, weighed .
The little flying squid is said to be dwarf species of flying squid compared to the other species of "Todarodes", the largest female recorded to date had a mantle length of 74mm and the largest male measured 68mm mantle. The maximum mantle length is not thought to exceed 100mm, compared to 500mm for the Japanese flying squid. It also has relatively small fins which only have a length equivalent to 25 to 31% of the mantle length (35-40% in the Japanese flying squid). It has a cylindrical, muscular body, typical of related species, which tapers to a short, pointed tail.
The neon flying squid ("Ommastrephes bartramii"), sometimes called the red flying squid, akaika, and red squid is a species of large flying squid in the family Ommastrephidae. They are found in subtropical and temperate oceanic waters globally.
The European squid or common squid ("Loligo vulgaris") is a large squid belonging to the family Loliginidae. It occurs abundantly in coastal waters from the North Sea to at least the west coast of Africa. This species lives from sea level to depths of . Its mantle is up to long. The species is extensively exploited by commercial fisheries.
The European flying squid (Todarodes sagittatus) is a species of squid from the continental slope and oceanic waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is the type species of the genus "Todarodes", the type genus of the subfamily Todarodinae of the pelagic squid family Ommastrephidae. It is a species which is targeted by some fisheries, although it is more often a bycatch.
The only known predators of adult giant squid are sperm whales, but pilot whales may also feed on them. Juveniles are preyed on by deep-sea sharks and other fish. Because sperm whales are skilled at locating giant squid, scientists have tried to observe them to study the squid. Giant squid have also been recently discovered to presumably steal food from each other; in mid-to-late October 2016, a giant squid washed ashore in Galicia, Spain. The squid had been photographed alive shortly before its death by a tourist named Javier Ondicol, and examination of its corpse by the Coordinators for the Study and Protection of Marine Species (CEPESMA) indicates that the squid was attacked and mortally wounded by another giant squid, losing parts of its fins, and receiving damage to its mantle, one of its gills and losing an eye. The intact nature of the specimen indicates that the giant squid managed to escape its rival by slowly retreating to shallow water, where it died of its wounds. The incident is the second to be documented among "Architeuthis" recorded in Spain, with the other occurring in Villaviciosa. Evidence in the form of giant squid stomach contents containing beak fragments from other giant squid in Tasmania also supports the theory that the species is at least occasionally cannibalistic. Alternatively, such squid-on-squid attacks may be a result of competition for prey. These traits are seen in the Humboldt squid as well, indicating that cannibalism in large squid may be more common than originally thought.
Abralia veranyi is a species of squid in the family Enoploteuthidae. Common names include the eye-flash squid, Verany's enope squid and the midwater squid. It is found in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It undergoes a daily vertical migration from deep waters to near the surface.
The firefly squid, "Watasenia scintillans, also known as the sparkling enope squid, is a species of squid in the family Enoploteuthidae. It is the sole species in the genus Watasenia".
Alloteuthis media, the midsize squid or little squid is a species of squid in the family Loliginidae from the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. It is generally a by catch species in trawl fisheries, although there is an active fishery in the western Mediterranean.