The 15-month period between January 2014 and March 2015 saw an unprecedented mass appearance event in the
Sea of Japan, during which 57 giant squid specimens were recorded in
Japanese coastal waters (spanning
#563 to
631) and a substantial but smaller number from the
South Korean side. The dramatic increase in strandings during this time has been attributed to unusually low
sea temperatures. Nevertheless, specimens often go unreported by Japanese fishermen as their largely inedible flesh means they have a low market value. Though the frequency with which specimens are observed has increased in recent decades, the giant squid remains a highly elusive animal, especially given its large size and worldwide distribution. Specimen records
continue to be compiled and tallied by workers in the field,
both regionally and on a global level, with individual specimens regularly receiving
scholarly papers unto themselves. As
Roper et al. (2015:83) wrote: "Few events in the natural world stimulate more excitement and curiosity among scientists and laymen alike than the discovery of a specimen of
Architeuthis." == List of giant squid ==