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How do You Bring a Giant Squid Through Customs?

Label it “Frozen Seafood (Sushi).”

In a new episode of the American Museum of Natural History‘s series “Shelf Life,” Curator Neil Landman tells the story of a beautifully preserved giant squid and its journey from New Zealand to New York.

Perhaps not surprisingly, customs agents in New York didn’t exactly have the paperwork to cover frozen, bus-sized squid. So instead of a giant squid coming through customs, the giant crate was considered frozen sushi.

Thankfully, the specimen didn’t melt on a runway when it missed a connecting flight, and finally arrived via refrigerated truck at the museum. It went on to unite the scientific names of numerous giant squid specimens under the original given to the first squid discovered in the 1800s — Architeuthis dux.

Check out the other lovely, informative Shelf Life videos here.

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