A Natural History of the Air Kraken

[Sir Theodore Catchpole]

Well it was in the "Pravda", not in a "normal" newspaper. The Pravda is the newspaper of the communist party of Russia. You know that "Pravda" means "trues". The other soviet newspaper was "Isvestia" which means "News". The difference was that in the "Pravda" you never found any "Isvestia" and in the "Isvestia" never a "Pravda". Nowadays the Pravda is well known for their...hmm...not really mainstream-news. That includes weired conspiration theories and science-news which are... let me call it... not veryfied. But they really mean it! Look at www.pravda.ru and choose "english" if you don't understand russian.

http://english.pravda.ru/photo/report/lee_thomas-2960 ha ha ha very odd news

[Sir Theodore Catchpole]

made a very fast drawing of this before

[Jessica Butcher]

Looks kind of phallic. 

[Doctor Trakov]

I wonder what would hapen if an Air-Kraken was to meet a dirigible Narwhal.

[Adml. Etherington]

If we were to get said official website about the dangers of the air kraken going, one would suspect we might be able to convince some daring airship captain to undertake an expedition to capture one, and to post their daily ship's logs/journal on the site so we could track their progress from the (relative) safety of home (I say relative as some of our laboratories may in fact be quite dangerous places, if we are undertaking our researches in a properly carefree manner ).

[villaintagonist]

If we were to get said official website about the dangers of the air kraken going, one would suspect we might be able to convince some daring airship captain to undertake an expedition to capture one, and to post their daily ship's logs/journal on the site so we could track their progress from the (relative) safety of home (I say relative as some of our laboratories may in fact be quite dangerous places, if we are undertaking our researches in a properly carefree manner ).

Absolutely! As the webcaptain of the air kraken aether-site, I can think of nothing more splendid! if there are any brave souls willing to risk their lives for the enrichment of our understanding of these creatures, please volunteer. I will see what I can do about commissioning an adequately equipped dirigible...

[Phineas Lamar Alexander]

 Correct me If I am mistaken but as a member of the class Cephelopoda these animals are known not only for their intelligence but also their ability to adapt camouflage to any surrounding thus making them extremely difficult to see.This is especially true when they feed as they are sneaking up on their prey they are perfectly hidden  so as not to scare the potential meal away! I am currently in the process of asking the Empirical College Of Esteemed Minds for grant monies to study these most horrible beasts. I am unfortunately being held out as complete loon as one particularly cheeky Fellow put it ! I would have expected more from the scholars of this venerable institution! I suppose this is yet more proof that the times are changing for the worse I fear! 

[Lola Holmgang]

I have recently encountered, on one of my frequent aimless navigations through the aetherweb, a book entitled Animals of the Ocean, In Particular the Giant Squid which may provide some help in unravelling the mysterious physiology of the deadly Air Kraken. Though it is written about the Air Kraken's strictly aquatic (but no less dangerous) cousin, no doubt the two creatures have much in common and invaluable lessons can be gleaned from this particular tome, perhaps most importantly how to tell if you are being eaten by one of these majestic yet terrifying beasts.

[Mercury Wells]

In re:- to the feeding/mating habits of Air Kraken.

I think that A-K's might use a form of electrical discharge to stun or even kill prey.

The reason for asking is that the expression "a bolt from the blue" might be from an A-K that is hunting
 

I not sure if anyone has heard of the term "Cables from the sky"?.

I am thinking is that they could be a specialised tentacle (or a pseudopod?) reduced in thickness, but increased in length to anchor themselves to the ground as they mate.

Or yet again they could be used as a lightning conductor/covered in a type of adhesive to snare prey.

(My apologies if this post does not scan correctly)

[The Haberdasher]

I would like to take this opportunity to announce that I have begun selling Air-Kraken insurance. For the meager price of $500 (£315) per month you can protect your love and livelihood from that scourge of the sky. Do not be that captain who thought "That won't happen to me!", Air-Kraken can strike anyone at anytime. Coverage includes ships, crews, and young women in school girl outfits.

   Air-Surance^TM   

What heals wounds better than money?

[Vampyroteuthis Infernalis]

I could have sworn there was an old “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” episode focusing on the elusive Air-Kraken.  As usual, Jim was doing all the work, and Marlin was sitting in the studio narrating.  I think they even got some grainy shots of a tentacle coming from a cloud before a cameraman vanished.
I think it was the episode where Jim wore shoes.

The swarming
V.I.

[Dr. makebot]

if we are going to find out what the air kraken eats, then I suggest we use some nets. you go up in a balloon (or dirigible) and lower a large net on a long rope. after about an hour, you pull it up again and see what you have got.

by the way, have we classified the air kraken and given it a Latin name? may I suggest:
kingdom: anamlia
phylum: mollusca
class: cephalopod
superorder: Decapodiformes
order: Teuthida
suborder: oegopsina
family: Architeuthis
genus: aeronautica
species: krakana

making its Latin name Aeronautica krakana

[steamtastic]

What exactly do air Krakens eat?

[Sir Theodore Catchpole]

What exactly do air Krakens eat?

air ships by the sound of it... besides that well what do they eat??

[steamtastic]

That's what I was thinking. Why would a creature evolve to leave the water without any reason? It can't be food, there's plenty to eat in the sea and I can't imagine there being much in the sky. It must be something else...

[The Haberdasher]

I am not sure if this question has been raised before but, what do we call someone whom studies aerial animal life? I believe the correct wording would be Aerial Biologist.

[akumabito]

making its Latin name Aeronautica krakana

Would that not be Krakana Aeronautica then?

[The Haberdasher]

making its Latin name Aeronautica krakana

Would that not be Krakana Aeronautica then?

No, Aeronautica Krakana is correct. Genus is before species.

[akumabito]

making its Latin name Aeronautica krakana

Would that not be Krakana Aeronautica then?

No, Aeronautica Krakana is correct. Genus is before species.

It's still the wrong way around then.. Krakana ought to be the genus, how would one classify the nautical kraken otherwise?

[mindofsteam]

Behold, the Air Kraken!

I am part of the fsu Federate States of the Union. while we were transporting a flock of slaughter crows created from a quantum hydraulics experiment. Right when we released the tether to drop said flock into the ocean a pack of sky kraken appeared amongst the dreadnought ferrying me and my associates attacking the falling cages while more specifically culling the mutated beasts I am not quite sure why the sky kraken would act in such a manner so could one of you kind gentlemen or ladies here tell me why they would act in such a manner?

[The Haberdasher]

making its Latin name Aeronautica krakana

Would that not be Krakana Aeronautica then?

No, Aeronautica Krakana is correct. Genus is before species.

It's still the wrong way around then.. Krakana ought to be the genus, how would one classify the nautical kraken otherwise?

Now I see you point. You are right, it should be Krakana Aeronautica. Now what is a regular kraken? Krakana Marinus perhaps.

[markf]

True giant squid/kraken follow the KPCOFGS naming convention below.  The species name typically varies by discovery site or discoverer, but there’re is no set Latin rationale for the specific species name on its taxonomy tree.  markf

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Subclass: Coleoidea
Order: Teuthida
Suborder: Oegopsina
Family: Architeuthidae
Genus: Architeuthis

[Sgt.Major Thistlewaite]

Ladies, Gents,et al,

Having perused this thread in it's entirety, a thought struck me ( a glancing blow, nothing to worry about) that there may be yet another explanation for the significant lack of remains found in the wild- that being that if they indeed possess a capacity for generating bio-electricity, and are indeed provided lift by internal hydrogen filled bladders, then it may be that they occasionally self-immolate, either by accident or upon their demise. As evidence for this theory, I cite this article;
http://www.whalesinspace.com/2009/03/fireballs-and-booms-reported-down-atlantic-coast/

Not proof, I'll grant you, but perhaps another piece of the puzzle....

Cheers,
Thistlewaite

[Dr. makebot]

making its Latin name Aeronautica krakana

Would that not be Krakana Aeronautica then?

No, Aeronautica Krakana is correct. Genus is before species.

It's still the wrong way around then.. Krakana ought to be the genus, how would one classify the nautical kraken otherwise?

Now I see you point. You are right, it should be Krakana Aeronautica. Now what is a regular kraken? Krakana Marinus perhaps.

yes, I see what you mean about the way round I put them. krakana aeronautica makes more sense.
as for Marine krakens, I think krakana marinus

[steamtastic]

Has anyone thought about capturing one of these? I know people here are biologists, but think of the potential these things can have! If we could whale them or somehow even farm them, then we could have a cheap limitless supply of hydrogen. And we wouldn’t even have to kill the beasts. We could just take some of the hydrogen, wait until it makes some more, and take it again. God, we could control the hydrogen industry, every airship could be filled with mine-I mean our kraken brand hydrogen. We’ll make millions!
And it doesn’t end there. We could use the skin as a new light weight envelope for airships. We could use its pigments for invisible clocking technology. We could sell the tentacles as meat. And I bet we could think up of much more.
So gentle men, who’s with me? Let be the first to harness the krakens resource. There’s big money involved.