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Description
When it comes to the ocean, everyone is quick to bring up tales of sea monsters and massive beasts of the deep. I don't know if it is possible to go on a voyage without hearing one of these stories at least once, but maybe its just me. I think bringing up my field of work gets people eager to talk monsters and strange creatures, either to hear my take on the situation or in some weak attempt to scare me. Kind of funny that so many sailors try to freak me out with these tales, I am not sure what they are trying to prove. Listen, guys, I am a dryad sailing across an endless expanse of saltwater. Just falling overboard will most likely kill me, so your really not going to find anything scarier than that. But anyways, the folk of the sea really love their tales of strange creatures, and they are probably the reason why so many people are scared of the open sea despite never stepping foot on even a beach. Hearing all these creepy tales gets them thinking the ocean is filled with leviathans and voracious sea serpents! An endless parade of aquatic horrors and bottom dwelling monstrosities! The truth is...well, yeah, the ocean has got a lot of big, strange creatures in it, but not all of them are aggressive! Some are, of course, but not all! There are those that mind their own business and have no intention of sinking ships and eating sailors, except when a whaling ship...well...you'll get what I am saying in the entry, okay?

Some of the famous beasts featured in these tales are massive whales and freaky squids. A leviathan of unrivaled size, dwarfing the very ships that hunt them? Pretty scary stuff! And how about those strange tentacled creatures that are said to pull men over board and drag ships down to a watery grave? Equally spooky! But what if I were to say that some of these tales could be talking about the same beast? Though these two may seem impossible to confuse for one another, there is one species that dwells in the ocean that actually thrives off of this deception! They are officially called the Cetaciform, but most folk refer to their common name: Mimic Kraken. The regular name should tip you off that these are much like squids and octopi, which they are indeed related to! They have the mantle and the tentacles to show for it! Despite these many limbs, they use a siphon for their movement, pumping water out to shoot themselves through the ocean. One of the things that set them apart from a lot of their family is their size, which kind of varies. You see, this species has sexual dimorphism, which means there are some differences in characteristics between the males and females. Size is one of the easiest to spot, as the males are much smaller than the females. Male Mimic Krakens grow to about twenty to thirty feet in length, which sounds pretty tiny, eh? No? Well, they are small in comparison to their female counterparts, which are known to grow about fifty to sixty feet long. Some even argue that they grow bigger, with claims of them reaching even seventy! Regardless if these tales are true, you can clearly see how massive each of them can get. You could even say that they grow as large as whales, which is the correct observation! There is a reason for that, and it is because they want to blend in.

While the Mimic Kraken are quite large, they are also quite intelligent. They are no brutes of the ocean, instead they are giant tricksters! Though big, they aren't the biggest things around, and sometimes it pays off to play pretend even if you are incredibly large! If you were to look at the mantles of both the males and females, you would notice familiar patterns and shapes. A very aerodynamic mantle, but purposefully rounded and pointed in certain parts. Their fins, too, have an odd structure to them, being more than just muscly flaps. Combine this with their ability to change the color and texture of their skin, and you may start to see a different animal form! Tighten those tentacles together and turn those feeding tendrils into a fluke, now suddenly you have a whale! And different ones too! With their pointed "snouts" and slimmer "bodies," the males seem to be mimicking beaked whales, while a bulkier, more rotund shape for the females suggests a baleen mimic. This species are able to disguise themselves as whales, and they can even act the part too! Special organs in the bodies allow them to create a variety of sounds, most of which are various whale calls! With their powerful brains, they can organize their bodies to fit the proper silhouette, and then use their fake calls to sound like the real thing! Incredible! The question is, why do they go through this trouble? Why does a squid want to be a whale instead?

The answer to this question is a bit complicated, and it varies between the two sexes. I think the good place to start is with the male Mimic Kraken. Why does he want to be a whale? Well, it turns out, being over twenty feet long isn't all that incredible when it comes to the ocean. Big deal, there are dozens of other leviathans bigger than you, and a bunch have a taste for calamari! So the male puts on this ruse for protection, as they can pull off their mimicry so well that they will be incorporated into a pod of real whales! They use their calls to sound like just like them, shape themselves to look just right in their eyes, and they can even mask their scent if need be! Their smarts go beyond visual and audible trickery, as they know collect to bits and pieces of odorous material to help fit in with the others. One incredible example can be seen when the pod starts to get itchy. Whales can get parasites and other hitchhikers on their bodies, and sometimes they need relief. They will find coarse ground in the shallows or underwater rocks to rub up against to scratch these bothersome critters. The male Mimic Kraken takes part in this ritual too, not just to play along, but to get a bit of that skin that comes off of his fellow whales! Rubbing against the same rocks and collecting shed skin helps them mask their own scent, and they store these odorous goodies in a special pouch near their mouth. These same pouches are where they store extra food and a few special surprises!

So as I mentioned, the male uses mimicry to get in good with a real whale pod, as the extra numbers give them protection from predators. When a hunter is out looking for squid, they won't pay any mind to an innocuous pod of whales, especially since it would mean picking a fight if they went after one of their members! The other reason they pretend to be buds is because group hunting is a pretty is a surefire way to get a meal! A chunk of a male Mimic Kraken's diet is smaller creatures, like fish and even other squid! They tag along with their buddies and use teamwork to go after shoals and schools. Outside of these family dinners, the Mimic Kraken may also nab some extra snacks. It turns out, there are some creatures of the ocean that feel safe around these whales, as they know they aren't on the menu. What they don't realize, though, is that this imposter will go after anything it can get its tendrils on. During the chaos and confusion of a feeding frenzy, the Mimic Kraken may turn on a different prey species and devour them instead. They will engulf them in its tendrils, and use their razor lined suckers to rip them apart. A powerful beak will feast on the pieces, while the flailing victim is hidden from the others in a shower of tentacles. When everything calms down, the Mimic Kraken will toss away the remains and return to the roll as a normal member of the pod. Outside of food, the Mimic Kraken may target other species to collect special parts. Venomous creatures like jellyfish may be sucked up and stored in their special pouches. They do not intend to eat these creatures, but instead wield them as weapons if things get dicey. If a predator does decide to attack them, they can spit out a cloud of stinging tendrils to ward them off. In some cases, the Mimic Kraken can store prey that the other whales enjoy, but not because they want to share. Instead, they collect these tasty treats to use as bait, because there is another thing that makes up this species diet: the whales themselves.

The Mimic Kraken doesn't just disguise itself as a whale for protection, it does so to get nice and close to their favorite prey. How can food run if they believe you are a trusted member of the family? By traveling and working with the pod, it gains their trust as well as the best seat from which to spy on its prey. They can see which members are the strongest, and which are the weakest. When is their defenses down, when do they drop their guard? Watching all this, they wait for the right moment to strike, which may require some encouragement on their part. When the timing is good, the male Mimic Kraken may try to lure away a smaller member of the pod, usually the young, old or sick. They may split off and use calls to encourage them to follow, or drop scent trails of tasty prey to make them think food is close by. If they can't lure a member away, then they may try to disorient the pod. During times of high tension, they may release a fake call of a predator or a threat to scare the pod and drive them apart. Panic may cause them to separate, dividing the strength and leaving the weak exposed. When their target is isolated, the Mimic Kraken strikes. With lightening speed and startling ferocity, it will launch itself at the victim and bind them with their hook-lined tentacles. Latching on tight, it will bite them with their beak, which contains a paralytic venom. The moment the poison is injected, the squid will use all its strength to pull its prey downward. The pod may try to regroup and retaliate, but the venom and powerful grip will already mean their family member's fate is sealed. Dragging the trapped victim down, the squid will use the rapid dive and the whales' need for air to keep them away. At a point, there will be no point in pursuing, and the pod will have to give up. The victim will drown in the squid's grip, as they are pulled away from air and the venom freezes their lungs. Pulled into the darkness, the Mimic Kraken will feast on the carcass and load up its pouches with as much as it can. They cannot hope to eat the whole thing themselves, but they will spend as much time as they can feeding off the body until something else drives them away. When the feast has ended, the male shall ascend once again and seek out another pod. Before emerging, though, it will alter its skin coloration to create a new set of fake scars and patches so that they are unrecognizable to any that once knew them. They can even change certain parts of their calls to sound slightly different, hopefully throwing off those who witnessed a previous deception. Once they have taken on a new persona, they seek out another pod and perhaps another victim.

So far I have mainly talked about the male Mimic Kraken, who blends in with the pods and uses this deception for both food and protection. What of the female, though? What does she get out of this ruse, and where is she? Another big difference between the sexes is that the female does not dwell where the males usually roam. The males stick close to surface waters and where other beaked whales live. The female, however, lives far down below, right on the ocean floor. If you want to talk deep sea leviathans, they are one of them. She spends most of her whole life down there in the darkness, living quite a different life than the male. While the males seek out pods and travel along with them on migrations and hunting, the female remains on the ocean floor doing very little in sakes of moving. She does not swim around freely, instead settling down in a place that they call home. This lair of theirs, though, is not what you are thinking. It isn't just some deep sea cave or a barren hole in the seafloor. Instead, it is more of a garden. On the ocean floor, the females tend to a special set up, watching over a special bounty. What crops they grow in this "garden" are not plants, but instead sea life, as the "soil" they use is whale carcasses. The territory of a female Mimic Kraken is crafted from the bodies of whales, and whatever is left behind when the scavengers have their fill. They collect these corpses and arrange them to create the fusion between a graveyard and a garden, and they sit in the center of it all. In this state, they barely move their bodies, instead letting their tentacles do all the work. Their many limbs will reach out and tend their gardens, arranging it just so and making sure everything is perfect. They are meticulously working on it in order to make the perfect feeding ground for scavengers, like isopods, worms and other invertebrates. These are the creatures that will still feed on a mostly cleaned corpse, picking away at what gristle remains. These critters are her "crop," as her setup attracts them from miles around. Since the female Mimic Kraken doesn't move a lot while dwelling in her garden, she doesn't burn up a lot of energy. With that, she can subsist off of small meals, like a bite of isopod or two. Every once in a while, she will nab one of the scavengers for a snack, harvesting from her plentiful bounty. These small fry will satiate her in this dormant state, allowing her to easily survive in the empty abyss. However, every garden needs some fresh soil, and these tiny meals will not always satisfy.

What usually puts the female Mimic Kraken in an active state is the sound of prey passing overhead. They listen out for whale song and use that to determine if a pod or individual are drawing close to her domain. If things sound promising, she will begin to call out in return, mimicking the species and their calls. Like a siren song, the female Mimic Kraken seeks to lure them closer, especially if they are a lone traveler, which makes for easier prey. Judging by their calls, she can respond with tempting sounds, like that of a breeding female. If her ruse works, and the prey starts to turn her way, the female will rise from her dormant state and begin to move. She will slowly swim up to the surface to "greet" these creatures, continuing her calls to ensure they remain interested. Her body and skin will shift to match the look of another whale, though she does not always mimic the exact species. Female Mimic Krakens disguise themselves as baleen whales, even in front of different species. Since she is rising from darkness and is not looking for a long term "relationship" with this pod, the ruse does not need to be perfect. She just needs to keep them close until she can make her move. Due to her size, she can take down even bigger prey than the males, but the female still knows that a strike must be perfectly planned. A whole pod of giant beasts can still spell trouble for the female, and adults who are healthy and strong can put up a powerful fight. She will still target the weakest member, or look for one who is in a vulnerable state. Female Mimic Krakens are bolder in their attempts when the target is solo, as that means she doesn't have to worry about retaliation. Swimming upwards to visit these inquisitive whales, she will slowly aim herself at her intended target. As she grows close, suspicions may start to rise within the pod. The females do not put on perfect disguises, they just need to pass as legit long enough to get close. So when she draws near, her attack must be planned and ready. With a disorienting screech of mangled whale call, she will charge towards the pod, striking fear and confusion. In a flash, the female will snare their prey with her powerful tentacles and drag them down. With more bulk and strength then the male, she has an easier time wrangling the trapped creature, though that advantage may be lost if she tackles a hefty target. The female does possess venom like the male, but there is a slight issue with using this right off the bat. Since she is taking on bigger whales, their skin and blubber is much thicker. Her beak cannot easily reach the spots where the venom will work the best, as these thick layers serve to insulate from her poison. As a result, the female has to gnaw her way through the fat in order to reach the vulnerable tissues, which means the female needs time to properly deal the death blow. This makes it very important that the female picks the right target and ensures that the pod can't return the violence. With prey snagged, the female Mimic Kraken injects them and then drags them to a watery grave. Just like the male, all of her victims will die by drowning. With prize in tow, the female Mimic Kraken will bring it back to her garden, where she will feed upon the carcass for a good long while and use its pieces to decorate the lair. Whatever she cannot eat is added to the arrangement, drawing in more scavengers and additions to her crop. With this lasting feast, the female will return to her slower, inactive state, feeding and working on her territory until opportunity rises again.

The corpse garden of a female Mimic Kraken appears to unique amongst the individuals, or so I am told. Obviously I can't swim down there myself to check, but many aquatic associates claim this is true. They have observed the arrangements of a bunch of these leviathans and have noted each has their own special touch. How they arrange bone and use the environment around them shows that each have their own preferences. Some like to keep the skeletons whole, while others enjoy mixing and matching the pieces. One illustration I saw had the female use ribs like a fence, jabbing them into the ground to make a pale wall of bone! There is question if these personal preferences have any actual use, or if the females just enjoy adding their own flair. Some say that these designs may be meant to encourage different scavengers, or separate them in a way that more can join the feast. By pulling the carcass into pieces, it means more critters can sit around the table, which means more food for her to choose from. There is no solid evidence for this as yet, and we may never really get it since observing these females in their natural home is quite difficult. Judging from tales and other illustrations, I think there may be a creativity behind these intimidating giants, as some patterns and design choices feel purely aesthetic. Arranging vertebrate in a giant, endless spiral? Not sure if that does anything, but boy does it look pretty!

So with the male up above in the lighter waters and the females lurking far down below, how do these two meet up? It turns out that these two will only make contact in the breeding season, which has some interesting timing! They seem to get in the mood right around the time that other major whale species are giving birth! It makes sense why, but it is fascinating that this species has timed things out as such! If you don't realize why this is works well in their favor, the whole birthing process for whales is quite taxing and it results in a calf that is quite vulnerable. This means that the Mimic Krakens are most active right as the pods are at their weakest, which is important for this special occasion. When the season kicks in, the males will take on a different attitude. Instead of meekly following along with a pod, they become bolder and seek to alter the course of this traveling group. They will use calls and lures to try and redirect their path, taking a slightly different route than usual. They aren't trying to radically divert the pod, but instead trying to nudge them a bit so that their path goes right above the territory of a breeding female. This tactic is used by males already integrated with a pod, but some males may be swimming solo. In this case, some lonely males have been observed targeting other solo whales, even ones that are larger than they can handle! Researchers have seen several instances where a male Mimic Kraken will come in contact with a massive baleen whale even though they cannot visually mimic them perfectly! Instead, they rely heavily on their calls, hoping that they sound like the real deal. They swim just out of view so that the target cannot get a close look, and instead must go off the song it hears. It has been noted that many of these lone whales they target seem to be sick or lost, falling into a state of vulnerability that the male easily notices. With such a prime target, the male does his best to draw them towards the range of a breeding female, using lures of tasty smells and enticing songs to string them along. In some cases where the males struggle to find viable prey, they may locate an already dead whale and try to haul the carcass to female territory! Regardless if it is a whole pod or a single victim, the males want to bring them above one of these gardens, and that is when the ritual begins. Using a strange alteration of normal whale song, the males seem to encode some kind of signal in their calls that the females recognize. It still sounds like whale song, but there are certain inflections and pitches they use to tell the female that there is a suitor amongst the ranks. Think of it like when your partner sings that one song over and over again, and how you would be able to pick them out from a group singing that same song. They don't sing it perfectly, and may add their own touches to it, so you would know it was them singing in a heartbeat. When the female hears the male's call, she will begin her ascension. This is when the two will meet, and it will be over dinner!

With the massive female drawing close, the male will mark the target for her. He will latch onto the chosen victim and begin to tear and gnaw at them. Against a hefty adult whale, the assault can seem futile for the smaller male, but they will totally attack much bigger prey during this special moment. It is because he is aware that he is not the one making the kill. The male is instead making the victim bleed, using the blood to draw the female in and focus her attack. With blood in the water and the male's song drawing her in, she will burst from the depths and grab hold of this wounded offering. When the female lunges, the male is quick to release, and not just because he chivalrous! When put into a feeding state, the bigger female doesn't think about much else than food, and that includes the male that bought dinner. Her attack is a brutal one, ramming into the target and seizing them in a powerful grip. If the male does not get out of the way, than he may be pinned to the whale and crushed in her grip. He bolts so that he doesn't become a part of the meal! With her tentacles latched on tight, she will focus entirely on her struggling victim, which means the male can make his move! The thing is, females can be aggressive and also picky about their suitors, which can result in rejection at best or violence at worst. If a female is hungry, than the odds are even worse for the males, as she may decide they can serve as the main course if the pickings are meager. By luring the female into a hunt and giving her an opponent that occupies her attention and tentacles, the males can swoop in and begin courtship. They will latch onto her as she hauls the bleeding whale away, riding along as she returns to the abyss. When she returns to her garden, the ritual can happen and mating can occur. The prey is an offering, and the bigger they are the better the male has it in hopes of mating. If all goes well, the deed will be done and the two shall feed. The male will gorge himself on the carcass and then return back to the surface. The female will remain down below, eventually laying thousands of eggs in her garden, where she will carefully watch over them. It is said that this is when their lairs are at their most magnificent, as the clusters are attached to bones and ornaments throughout the garden, almost looking like flowers! She will guard them and eat any scavengers that may try to take a bite. In time, the young will hatch and feed upon the carcasses and crop. Once full, they vanish into the dark, hopefully living long enough to become such giants. Unfortunately, not many reach this adult stage, but that is why they lay so many! Only a handful will grow to such size, but they are enough to ensure the species continues on for quite some time!

Mimic Krakens are fascinating creatures and certainly are magnificent to behold. I have only seen glimpses of males in the wild, and have gained most of my knowledge from books, fellow researchers or preserved specimens. Their unique style of hunting and intimidating prey make them well known in seafaring culture, though you can imagine what kind of image sailors give them. Mimic Krakens are one of those species that are accused of being horrible sea monsters, beasts that attack ships and drag them down below. The thing is, Mimic Krakens are not aggressive towards boats or human-sized creatures. The males are the ones you will encounter while sailing, and they have no interest in such a target. They want fish and whales, not some scrawny sailor or wooden hull. The females dwell down at the bottom, far from any ship or barge. So if they pay no mind to boats, then why the stories? Well, if you pay close attention to the speakers of these tales and the victims within it, you will notice that they are all whalers. Folk who also hunt these giant creatures, which is where these "attacks" occur. In some cases, whalers will sink their harpoons into what they think is a beaked whale, which turns out to be a male Mimic Kraken. If they are not careful and get too close, the wounded animal will break its disguise and lash out with razor tentacles. Smaller whaleboats moving in to claim the kill will be attacked in the pained frenzy, which can result in men being seized and pulled overboard. If things get bad enough, these smaller craft can be completely flipped, throwing everyone into the violent sea. When attacked and trapped like this, the male Mimic Squid will indeed be aggressive, but do realize why it came to this. If someone caught you in a bear trap, I think you may not be up for pleasantries during the ordeal! Of course damages and death can come from these interactions, which leads to some of these tales. However, there are stories that have massive squids attacking great ships, and the males aren't big enough to go after such large vessels. This is where the females come in but, once again, these "attacks" are not without reason.

Whenever I hear tales where female Mimic Krakens attack, I immediately look into what time of year they took place. Most of the time, folk fail to mention it, but whenever I do get a confirmation it is always during the Mimic Kraken breeding season. The other unifying detail in all these stories is that these attacks occur when whalers have got a hold of their prey. With harpoons stuck in deep and blood pumping into the ocean, the struggling victim may catch the interest of another hunter. If fate has caused these whalers to play their game near female Mimic Kraken territory, than they could accidentally get her attention. With the taste of blood and the sound of injured prey, the female may mistake it for the actions of a male. She will wait for his call, but hunger will eventually win out. With all this blood and no offer for dinner, what is she to do? Obviously go up and see what is taking so long! She will rise up and get caught in this frantic battle. With the ocean filled with blood and the actions of vulnerable prey hitting all the right sensors, the female will be switched into attack mode. She will go after the caught whale, or she could get mistaken in the chaos. In the frenzy of blood and screaming, the hull of a whaling ship may look like the body of potential prey and the female could think they are the source of the blood. Do remember that whaling ships are not the cleanest things, which means if they have caught prey before hand, they could totally be spilling blood into the water. A ship that bleeds! It must be a whale! So the female will latch onto the ship by mistake and begin her attack. Obviously the whalers aboard will not see this coming, and will lose their minds when tentacles burst from the ocean and begin tearing apart their ship! Their panicked actions will agitate her further, especially when they start hacking away at her tentacles. She will fight back in return, causing more chaos and confusion. The attack will eventually break off, as she realizes the thing she is biting isn't flesh, but the impression given will stick with these sailors forever. Even if she hits the whale first, the sight of a massive squid tearing at your prize and pulling you along for the ride is quite something! Like before, though, they do not do this out of aggression, just confusion. Though I will agree it probably is pretty terrifying when one is holding your ship fast! I would say it would be incredible to witness, but A) I don't want people or animals harmed and B) seawater can spell certain death for me if I can't wash it out of my system fast enough, so being aboard a besieged vessel is probably not healthy. Guess I will stick to admiring illustrations!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

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A concept brainstormed with Lediblock2 , talking about some different kind of mimics. Started with mimicking sounds, which naturally led us to whales and this wonderful concept. Apologies for it taking so long for me to actually draw them. I can be reeeeaaally slow with stuff at times! And also it may be because I knew this description was going to take a while to write!

Description
When it comes to the ocean, everyone is quick to bring up tales of sea monsters and massive beasts of the deep. I don't know if it is possible to go on a voyage without hearing one of these stories at least once, but maybe its just me. I think bringing up my field of work gets people eager to talk monsters and strange creatures, either to hear my take on the situation or in some weak attempt to scare me. Kind of funny that so many sailors try to freak me out with these tales, I am not sure what they are trying to prove. Listen, guys, I am a dryad sailing across an endless expanse of saltwater. Just falling overboard will most likely kill me, so your really not going to find anything scarier than that. But anyways, the folk of the sea really love their tales of strange creatures, and they are probably the reason why so many people are scared of the open sea despite never stepping foot on even a beach. Hearing all these creepy tales gets them thinking the ocean is filled with leviathans and voracious sea serpents! An endless parade of aquatic horrors and bottom dwelling monstrosities! The truth is...well, yeah, the ocean has got a lot of big, strange creatures in it, but not all of them are aggressive! Some are, of course, but not all! There are those that mind their own business and have no intention of sinking ships and eating sailors, except when a whaling ship...well...you'll get what I am saying in the entry, okay?

Some of the famous beasts featured in these tales are massive whales and freaky squids. A leviathan of unrivaled size, dwarfing the very ships that hunt them? Pretty scary stuff! And how about those strange tentacled creatures that are said to pull men over board and drag ships down to a watery grave? Equally spooky! But what if I were to say that some of these tales could be talking about the same beast? Though these two may seem impossible to confuse for one another, there is one species that dwells in the ocean that actually thrives off of this deception! They are officially called the Cetaciform, but most folk refer to their common name: Mimic Kraken. The regular name should tip you off that these are much like squids and octopi, which they are indeed related to! They have the mantle and the tentacles to show for it! Despite these many limbs, they use a siphon for their movement, pumping water out to shoot themselves through the ocean. One of the things that set them apart from a lot of their family is their size, which kind of varies. You see, this species has sexual dimorphism, which means there are some differences in characteristics between the males and females. Size is one of the easiest to spot, as the males are much smaller than the females. Male Mimic Krakens grow to about twenty to thirty feet in length, which sounds pretty tiny, eh? No? Well, they are small in comparison to their female counterparts, which are known to grow about fifty to sixty feet long. Some even argue that they grow bigger, with claims of them reaching even seventy! Regardless if these tales are true, you can clearly see how massive each of them can get. You could even say that they grow as large as whales, which is the correct observation! There is a reason for that, and it is because they want to blend in.

While the Mimic Kraken are quite large, they are also quite intelligent. They are no brutes of the ocean, instead they are giant tricksters! Though big, they aren't the biggest things around, and sometimes it pays off to play pretend even if you are incredibly large! If you were to look at the mantles of both the males and females, you would notice familiar patterns and shapes. A very aerodynamic mantle, but purposefully rounded and pointed in certain parts. Their fins, too, have an odd structure to them, being more than just muscly flaps. Combine this with their ability to change the color and texture of their skin, and you may start to see a different animal form! Tighten those tentacles together and turn those feeding tendrils into a fluke, now suddenly you have a whale! And different ones too! With their pointed "snouts" and slimmer "bodies," the males seem to be mimicking beaked whales, while a bulkier, more rotund shape for the females suggests a baleen mimic. This species are able to disguise themselves as whales, and they can even act the part too! Special organs in the bodies allow them to create a variety of sounds, most of which are various whale calls! With their powerful brains, they can organize their bodies to fit the proper silhouette, and then use their fake calls to sound like the real thing! Incredible! The question is, why do they go through this trouble? Why does a squid want to be a whale instead?

The answer to this question is a bit complicated, and it varies between the two sexes. I think the good place to start is with the male Mimic Kraken. Why does he want to be a whale? Well, it turns out, being over twenty feet long isn't all that incredible when it comes to the ocean. Big deal, there are dozens of other leviathans bigger than you, and a bunch have a taste for calamari! So the male puts on this ruse for protection, as they can pull off their mimicry so well that they will be incorporated into a pod of real whales! They use their calls to sound like just like them, shape themselves to look just right in their eyes, and they can even mask their scent if need be! Their smarts go beyond visual and audible trickery, as they know collect to bits and pieces of odorous material to help fit in with the others. One incredible example can be seen when the pod starts to get itchy. Whales can get parasites and other hitchhikers on their bodies, and sometimes they need relief. They will find coarse ground in the shallows or underwater rocks to rub up against to scratch these bothersome critters. The male Mimic Kraken takes part in this ritual too, not just to play along, but to get a bit of that skin that comes off of his fellow whales! Rubbing against the same rocks and collecting shed skin helps them mask their own scent, and they store these odorous goodies in a special pouch near their mouth. These same pouches are where they store extra food and a few special surprises!

So as I mentioned, the male uses mimicry to get in good with a real whale pod, as the extra numbers give them protection from predators. When a hunter is out looking for squid, they won't pay any mind to an innocuous pod of whales, especially since it would mean picking a fight if they went after one of their members! The other reason they pretend to be buds is because group hunting is a pretty is a surefire way to get a meal! A chunk of a male Mimic Kraken's diet is smaller creatures, like fish and even other squid! They tag along with their buddies and use teamwork to go after shoals and schools. Outside of these family dinners, the Mimic Kraken may also nab some extra snacks. It turns out, there are some creatures of the ocean that feel safe around these whales, as they know they aren't on the menu. What they don't realize, though, is that this imposter will go after anything it can get its tendrils on. During the chaos and confusion of a feeding frenzy, the Mimic Kraken may turn on a different prey species and devour them instead. They will engulf them in its tendrils, and use their razor lined suckers to rip them apart. A powerful beak will feast on the pieces, while the flailing victim is hidden from the others in a shower of tentacles. When everything calms down, the Mimic Kraken will toss away the remains and return to the roll as a normal member of the pod. Outside of food, the Mimic Kraken may target other species to collect special parts. Venomous creatures like jellyfish may be sucked up and stored in their special pouches. They do not intend to eat these creatures, but instead wield them as weapons if things get dicey. If a predator does decide to attack them, they can spit out a cloud of stinging tendrils to ward them off. In some cases, the Mimic Kraken can store prey that the other whales enjoy, but not because they want to share. Instead, they collect these tasty treats to use as bait, because there is another thing that makes up this species diet: the whales themselves.

The Mimic Kraken doesn't just disguise itself as a whale for protection, it does so to get nice and close to their favorite prey. How can food run if they believe you are a trusted member of the family? By traveling and working with the pod, it gains their trust as well as the best seat from which to spy on its prey. They can see which members are the strongest, and which are the weakest. When is their defenses down, when do they drop their guard? Watching all this, they wait for the right moment to strike, which may require some encouragement on their part. When the timing is good, the male Mimic Kraken may try to lure away a smaller member of the pod, usually the young, old or sick. They may split off and use calls to encourage them to follow, or drop scent trails of tasty prey to make them think food is close by. If they can't lure a member away, then they may try to disorient the pod. During times of high tension, they may release a fake call of a predator or a threat to scare the pod and drive them apart. Panic may cause them to separate, dividing the strength and leaving the weak exposed. When their target is isolated, the Mimic Kraken strikes. With lightening speed and startling ferocity, it will launch itself at the victim and bind them with their hook-lined tentacles. Latching on tight, it will bite them with their beak, which contains a paralytic venom. The moment the poison is injected, the squid will use all its strength to pull its prey downward. The pod may try to regroup and retaliate, but the venom and powerful grip will already mean their family member's fate is sealed. Dragging the trapped victim down, the squid will use the rapid dive and the whales' need for air to keep them away. At a point, there will be no point in pursuing, and the pod will have to give up. The victim will drown in the squid's grip, as they are pulled away from air and the venom freezes their lungs. Pulled into the darkness, the Mimic Kraken will feast on the carcass and load up its pouches with as much as it can. They cannot hope to eat the whole thing themselves, but they will spend as much time as they can feeding off the body until something else drives them away. When the feast has ended, the male shall ascend once again and seek out another pod. Before emerging, though, it will alter its skin coloration to create a new set of fake scars and patches so that they are unrecognizable to any that once knew them. They can even change certain parts of their calls to sound slightly different, hopefully throwing off those who witnessed a previous deception. Once they have taken on a new persona, they seek out another pod and perhaps another victim.

So far I have mainly talked about the male Mimic Kraken, who blends in with the pods and uses this deception for both food and protection. What of the female, though? What does she get out of this ruse, and where is she? Another big difference between the sexes is that the female does not dwell where the males usually roam. The males stick close to surface waters and where other beaked whales live. The female, however, lives far down below, right on the ocean floor. If you want to talk deep sea leviathans, they are one of them. She spends most of her whole life down there in the darkness, living quite a different life than the male. While the males seek out pods and travel along with them on migrations and hunting, the female remains on the ocean floor doing very little in sakes of moving. She does not swim around freely, instead settling down in a place that they call home. This lair of theirs, though, is not what you are thinking. It isn't just some deep sea cave or a barren hole in the seafloor. Instead, it is more of a garden. On the ocean floor, the females tend to a special set up, watching over a special bounty. What crops they grow in this "garden" are not plants, but instead sea life, as the "soil" they use is whale carcasses. The territory of a female Mimic Kraken is crafted from the bodies of whales, and whatever is left behind when the scavengers have their fill. They collect these corpses and arrange them to create the fusion between a graveyard and a garden, and they sit in the center of it all. In this state, they barely move their bodies, instead letting their tentacles do all the work. Their many limbs will reach out and tend their gardens, arranging it just so and making sure everything is perfect. They are meticulously working on it in order to make the perfect feeding ground for scavengers, like isopods, worms and other invertebrates. These are the creatures that will still feed on a mostly cleaned corpse, picking away at what gristle remains. These critters are her "crop," as her setup attracts them from miles around. Since the female Mimic Kraken doesn't move a lot while dwelling in her garden, she doesn't burn up a lot of energy. With that, she can subsist off of small meals, like a bite of isopod or two. Every once in a while, she will nab one of the scavengers for a snack, harvesting from her plentiful bounty. These small fry will satiate her in this dormant state, allowing her to easily survive in the empty abyss. However, every garden needs some fresh soil, and these tiny meals will not always satisfy.

What usually puts the female Mimic Kraken in an active state is the sound of prey passing overhead. They listen out for whale song and use that to determine if a pod or individual are drawing close to her domain. If things sound promising, she will begin to call out in return, mimicking the species and their calls. Like a siren song, the female Mimic Kraken seeks to lure them closer, especially if they are a lone traveler, which makes for easier prey. Judging by their calls, she can respond with tempting sounds, like that of a breeding female. If her ruse works, and the prey starts to turn her way, the female will rise from her dormant state and begin to move. She will slowly swim up to the surface to "greet" these creatures, continuing her calls to ensure they remain interested. Her body and skin will shift to match the look of another whale, though she does not always mimic the exact species. Female Mimic Krakens disguise themselves as baleen whales, even in front of different species. Since she is rising from darkness and is not looking for a long term "relationship" with this pod, the ruse does not need to be perfect. She just needs to keep them close until she can make her move. Due to her size, she can take down even bigger prey than the males, but the female still knows that a strike must be perfectly planned. A whole pod of giant beasts can still spell trouble for the female, and adults who are healthy and strong can put up a powerful fight. She will still target the weakest member, or look for one who is in a vulnerable state. Female Mimic Krakens are bolder in their attempts when the target is solo, as that means she doesn't have to worry about retaliation. Swimming upwards to visit these inquisitive whales, she will slowly aim herself at her intended target. As she grows close, suspicions may start to rise within the pod. The females do not put on perfect disguises, they just need to pass as legit long enough to get close. So when she draws near, her attack must be planned and ready. With a disorienting screech of mangled whale call, she will charge towards the pod, striking fear and confusion. In a flash, the female will snare their prey with her powerful tentacles and drag them down. With more bulk and strength then the male, she has an easier time wrangling the trapped creature, though that advantage may be lost if she tackles a hefty target. The female does possess venom like the male, but there is a slight issue with using this right off the bat. Since she is taking on bigger whales, their skin and blubber is much thicker. Her beak cannot easily reach the spots where the venom will work the best, as these thick layers serve to insulate from her poison. As a result, the female has to gnaw her way through the fat in order to reach the vulnerable tissues, which means the female needs time to properly deal the death blow. This makes it very important that the female picks the right target and ensures that the pod can't return the violence. With prey snagged, the female Mimic Kraken injects them and then drags them to a watery grave. Just like the male, all of her victims will die by drowning. With prize in tow, the female Mimic Kraken will bring it back to her garden, where she will feed upon the carcass for a good long while and use its pieces to decorate the lair. Whatever she cannot eat is added to the arrangement, drawing in more scavengers and additions to her crop. With this lasting feast, the female will return to her slower, inactive state, feeding and working on her territory until opportunity rises again.

The corpse garden of a female Mimic Kraken appears to unique amongst the individuals, or so I am told. Obviously I can't swim down there myself to check, but many aquatic associates claim this is true. They have observed the arrangements of a bunch of these leviathans and have noted each has their own special touch. How they arrange bone and use the environment around them shows that each have their own preferences. Some like to keep the skeletons whole, while others enjoy mixing and matching the pieces. One illustration I saw had the female use ribs like a fence, jabbing them into the ground to make a pale wall of bone! There is question if these personal preferences have any actual use, or if the females just enjoy adding their own flair. Some say that these designs may be meant to encourage different scavengers, or separate them in a way that more can join the feast. By pulling the carcass into pieces, it means more critters can sit around the table, which means more food for her to choose from. There is no solid evidence for this as yet, and we may never really get it since observing these females in their natural home is quite difficult. Judging from tales and other illustrations, I think there may be a creativity behind these intimidating giants, as some patterns and design choices feel purely aesthetic. Arranging vertebrate in a giant, endless spiral? Not sure if that does anything, but boy does it look pretty!

So with the male up above in the lighter waters and the females lurking far down below, how do these two meet up? It turns out that these two will only make contact in the breeding season, which has some interesting timing! They seem to get in the mood right around the time that other major whale species are giving birth! It makes sense why, but it is fascinating that this species has timed things out as such! If you don't realize why this is works well in their favor, the whole birthing process for whales is quite taxing and it results in a calf that is quite vulnerable. This means that the Mimic Krakens are most active right as the pods are at their weakest, which is important for this special occasion. When the season kicks in, the males will take on a different attitude. Instead of meekly following along with a pod, they become bolder and seek to alter the course of this traveling group. They will use calls and lures to try and redirect their path, taking a slightly different route than usual. They aren't trying to radically divert the pod, but instead trying to nudge them a bit so that their path goes right above the territory of a breeding female. This tactic is used by males already integrated with a pod, but some males may be swimming solo. In this case, some lonely males have been observed targeting other solo whales, even ones that are larger than they can handle! Researchers have seen several instances where a male Mimic Kraken will come in contact with a massive baleen whale even though they cannot visually mimic them perfectly! Instead, they rely heavily on their calls, hoping that they sound like the real deal. They swim just out of view so that the target cannot get a close look, and instead must go off the song it hears. It has been noted that many of these lone whales they target seem to be sick or lost, falling into a state of vulnerability that the male easily notices. With such a prime target, the male does his best to draw them towards the range of a breeding female, using lures of tasty smells and enticing songs to string them along. In some cases where the males struggle to find viable prey, they may locate an already dead whale and try to haul the carcass to female territory! Regardless if it is a whole pod or a single victim, the males want to bring them above one of these gardens, and that is when the ritual begins. Using a strange alteration of normal whale song, the males seem to encode some kind of signal in their calls that the females recognize. It still sounds like whale song, but there are certain inflections and pitches they use to tell the female that there is a suitor amongst the ranks. Think of it like when your partner sings that one song over and over again, and how you would be able to pick them out from a group singing that same song. They don't sing it perfectly, and may add their own touches to it, so you would know it was them singing in a heartbeat. When the female hears the male's call, she will begin her ascension. This is when the two will meet, and it will be over dinner!

With the massive female drawing close, the male will mark the target for her. He will latch onto the chosen victim and begin to tear and gnaw at them. Against a hefty adult whale, the assault can seem futile for the smaller male, but they will totally attack much bigger prey during this special moment. It is because he is aware that he is not the one making the kill. The male is instead making the victim bleed, using the blood to draw the female in and focus her attack. With blood in the water and the male's song drawing her in, she will burst from the depths and grab hold of this wounded offering. When the female lunges, the male is quick to release, and not just because he chivalrous! When put into a feeding state, the bigger female doesn't think about much else than food, and that includes the male that bought dinner. Her attack is a brutal one, ramming into the target and seizing them in a powerful grip. If the male does not get out of the way, than he may be pinned to the whale and crushed in her grip. He bolts so that he doesn't become a part of the meal! With her tentacles latched on tight, she will focus entirely on her struggling victim, which means the male can make his move! The thing is, females can be aggressive and also picky about their suitors, which can result in rejection at best or violence at worst. If a female is hungry, than the odds are even worse for the males, as she may decide they can serve as the main course if the pickings are meager. By luring the female into a hunt and giving her an opponent that occupies her attention and tentacles, the males can swoop in and begin courtship. They will latch onto her as she hauls the bleeding whale away, riding along as she returns to the abyss. When she returns to her garden, the ritual can happen and mating can occur. The prey is an offering, and the bigger they are the better the male has it in hopes of mating. If all goes well, the deed will be done and the two shall feed. The male will gorge himself on the carcass and then return back to the surface. The female will remain down below, eventually laying thousands of eggs in her garden, where she will carefully watch over them. It is said that this is when their lairs are at their most magnificent, as the clusters are attached to bones and ornaments throughout the garden, almost looking like flowers! She will guard them and eat any scavengers that may try to take a bite. In time, the young will hatch and feed upon the carcasses and crop. Once full, they vanish into the dark, hopefully living long enough to become such giants. Unfortunately, not many reach this adult stage, but that is why they lay so many! Only a handful will grow to such size, but they are enough to ensure the species continues on for quite some time!

Mimic Krakens are fascinating creatures and certainly are magnificent to behold. I have only seen glimpses of males in the wild, and have gained most of my knowledge from books, fellow researchers or preserved specimens. Their unique style of hunting and intimidating prey make them well known in seafaring culture, though you can imagine what kind of image sailors give them. Mimic Krakens are one of those species that are accused of being horrible sea monsters, beasts that attack ships and drag them down below. The thing is, Mimic Krakens are not aggressive towards boats or human-sized creatures. The males are the ones you will encounter while sailing, and they have no interest in such a target. They want fish and whales, not some scrawny sailor or wooden hull. The females dwell down at the bottom, far from any ship or barge. So if they pay no mind to boats, then why the stories? Well, if you pay close attention to the speakers of these tales and the victims within it, you will notice that they are all whalers. Folk who also hunt these giant creatures, which is where these "attacks" occur. In some cases, whalers will sink their harpoons into what they think is a beaked whale, which turns out to be a male Mimic Kraken. If they are not careful and get too close, the wounded animal will break its disguise and lash out with razor tentacles. Smaller whaleboats moving in to claim the kill will be attacked in the pained frenzy, which can result in men being seized and pulled overboard. If things get bad enough, these smaller craft can be completely flipped, throwing everyone into the violent sea. When attacked and trapped like this, the male Mimic Squid will indeed be aggressive, but do realize why it came to this. If someone caught you in a bear trap, I think you may not be up for pleasantries during the ordeal! Of course damages and death can come from these interactions, which leads to some of these tales. However, there are stories that have massive squids attacking great ships, and the males aren't big enough to go after such large vessels. This is where the females come in but, once again, these "attacks" are not without reason.

Whenever I hear tales where female Mimic Krakens attack, I immediately look into what time of year they took place. Most of the time, folk fail to mention it, but whenever I do get a confirmation it is always during the Mimic Kraken breeding season. The other unifying detail in all these stories is that these attacks occur when whalers have got a hold of their prey. With harpoons stuck in deep and blood pumping into the ocean, the struggling victim may catch the interest of another hunter. If fate has caused these whalers to play their game near female Mimic Kraken territory, than they could accidentally get her attention. With the taste of blood and the sound of injured prey, the female may mistake it for the actions of a male. She will wait for his call, but hunger will eventually win out. With all this blood and no offer for dinner, what is she to do? Obviously go up and see what is taking so long! She will rise up and get caught in this frantic battle. With the ocean filled with blood and the actions of vulnerable prey hitting all the right sensors, the female will be switched into attack mode. She will go after the caught whale, or she could get mistaken in the chaos. In the frenzy of blood and screaming, the hull of a whaling ship may look like the body of potential prey and the female could think they are the source of the blood. Do remember that whaling ships are not the cleanest things, which means if they have caught prey before hand, they could totally be spilling blood into the water. A ship that bleeds! It must be a whale! So the female will latch onto the ship by mistake and begin her attack. Obviously the whalers aboard will not see this coming, and will lose their minds when tentacles burst from the ocean and begin tearing apart their ship! Their panicked actions will agitate her further, especially when they start hacking away at her tentacles. She will fight back in return, causing more chaos and confusion. The attack will eventually break off, as she realizes the thing she is biting isn't flesh, but the impression given will stick with these sailors forever. Even if she hits the whale first, the sight of a massive squid tearing at your prize and pulling you along for the ride is quite something! Like before, though, they do not do this out of aggression, just confusion. Though I will agree it probably is pretty terrifying when one is holding your ship fast! I would say it would be incredible to witness, but A) I don't want people or animals harmed and B) seawater can spell certain death for me if I can't wash it out of my system fast enough, so being aboard a besieged vessel is probably not healthy. Guess I will stick to admiring illustrations!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

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A concept brainstormed with Lediblock2 , talking about some different kind of mimics. Started with mimicking sounds, which naturally led us to whales and this wonderful concept. Apologies for it taking so long for me to actually draw them. I can be reeeeaaally slow with stuff at times! And also it may be because I knew this description was going to take a while to write!