A giant squid is heading back to New Zealand, after being 鈥渟tuffed鈥� with silicone and preserved for posterity.
In 2004, a pair of were sent from New Zealand to a plastination facility in Dalian, China, to be preserved by anatomist Gunther von Hagens.
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Plastination is a body-preservation technique invented by von Hagens in 1975 that replaces the natural water in a body with silicone.
Previously, von Hagens has plastinated giraffes, elephants and humans, but a giant squid 鈥� with fragile skin, no skeleton for structural support and more body water to replace than any other attempt 鈥� posed some challenges for the controversial anatomist.
Touching cephalopods
For several years von Hagens and his team experimented using smaller squid, and found that the fragility of the skin needed a slower replacement process than other animal specimens.
Some 1500聽litres of silicone later, the plastination of the giant cephalopods was completed in January.
The ship carrying the unique cargo is set to arrive in Auckland in March, says , a squid expert at the Auckland University of Technology who donated the specimens to von Hagens. The second plastinated squid will travel the world as part of the .
Traditionally, marine animals are preserved in alcohol or formaldehyde, says O鈥橲hea. But with plastination, there is no glass barrier between the viewer and the squid.
鈥淵ou can actually touch it,鈥� says O鈥橲hea. 鈥淣ot that I would let anyone put their grubby little hands on this鈥� It鈥檚 priceless.鈥�
Squid rider
The next challenge? To plastinate a mature sperm whale, known to have a taste for giant squid. 鈥淲e could have the predator and the prey together,鈥� says O鈥橲hea. 鈥淎nd have them in a battle posture.鈥�
According to O鈥橲hea, more scientists around the world are using plastination as a preservation technique, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 not everybody鈥檚 cup of tea鈥�, he says.
And while O鈥橲hea has dreams of plastinated whales, von Hagens has other plans. 鈥淗e wants my body mounted on top of the squid when I die,鈥� says O鈥橲hea. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 be too keen on this.鈥�
