Giant squid found to be fast and ferocious

TOKYO, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Japanese scientists say giant deep-sea squid are not the sluggish water creatures that many people think.

The scientists, in a report published in a Royal Society journal, say video taken in deep water shows that giant squid is an aggressive predator that emits blinding flashes of light as they attack, the BBC reported.

The video shows the squid can reach 7 feet in length and swim up to 8 feet per second as they capture bait with their tentacles.

The squid change direction by rapidly bending their flexible bodies, the BBC said.