SOURCES:
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (1870)
The Boats of "Glen Carrig" by William Hope Hodgson (1907)
Beast by Peter Benchley (1991)

DESCRIPTION: "With this, he went down so far as seemed safe, and prodded the creature in one of its tentacles--the weapon entering easily, at which I was surprised, for I had understood that these monsters were near to invulnerable in all parts save their eyes. At receiving this stab, the great fish appeared to feel no hurt for it showed no signs of pain, and, at that, the bo'sun was further emboldened to go nearer, so that he might deliver a more deadly wound; yet scarce had he taken two steps before the hideous thing was
upon him, and, but for an agility wonderful in so great a man, he had been destroyed..." (The Boats of Glen Carrig by William Hope Hodgson)

NOTES: The Devilfish is of course the giant squid, known to Science but not very well understood.

HISTORY: The most famous squid in movie history is certainly the one in Disney's version of Twenty Thousand Leagues. Michael Crichton tipped his hat to this novel in his book Sphere though the squid in that novel doesn't exactly exist. The creepy squid like creature has had its influence on H. P. Lovecraft who's "squidgies" are extra-terrestrial or other-dimensional in nature.

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