Scientists discover huge Kraken-like Octopus

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The discovery, using novel techniques to analyze fossilized jaws, details how colossal octopuses hunted the Late Cretaceous depths, competing with apex predators.

It’s the stuff of science fiction. A kraken-like octopus that could grow to 60 feet long, prowl the oceans as a fierce predator, seize prey with long, agile arms and crush its catches with massive jaws.

But it turns out that such fantastical creatures actually did roam the depths of the ancient world, according to research published Thursday in the journal Science.

Scientists have long focused on sharks and large aquatic reptiles as the top ocean predators during the Cretaceous period, which spanned roughly 145 million to 66 million years ago. But the novel discovery details how colossal octopuses also hunted the Late Cretaceous seas, competing with — and perhaps even preying upon — apex predators such as mosasaurs.

A sketch of the giant octopus in the Late Cretaceous period. (Yohei Utsuki/Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Hokkaido University)