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A giant squid measuring 10 feet long has been captured on camera for the first time ever by Japanese scientists.

The world's first live images of the elusive silvery sea creature show it in the depths of the Pacific Ocean near the Ogasawara islands, 1000km south of Japan.

In the footage of the invertebrate, which has huge black eyes, can be seen holding a bait squid in its tentacles as it swims against the current at a depth of 900 metres.

The incredible sighting was the culmination of 100 missions during which time the scientists spent 400 hours in a cramped three-man submarine tracking the beast which has been described by many as one of the last mysteries of the ocean.

Until recently, little was known about the creature believed to be the real face of the mythical kraken, a sea-monster blamed by sailors for sinking ships off Norway in the 18th century.

Japan's National Science Museum teamed up with experts from local TV station HK and the US Discovery Channel to be able to capture the footage.

Tsunemi Kubodera, a zoologist at Japan's National Museum of Nature and Science, who led the team, said: "Many people have tried to capture an image of a giant squid alive in its natural habitat, whether researchers or film crews. But they all failed.

"These are the first ever images of a real live giant squid."

Kubodera said that the mission was a success due to the small submarine which used lights which were invisible to both human and the monster's eyes.

He added: "If you try and approach making a load of noise, using a bright white light, then the squid won't come anywhere near you. That was our basic thinking.

"So we sat there in the pitch black, using a near-infrared light invisible even to the human eye, waiting for the giant squid to approach.

"I've seen a lot of giant squid specimens in my time, but mainly those hauled out of the ocean. This was the first time for me to see with my own eyes a giant squid swimming.

"It was stunning, I couldn't have dreamt that it would be so beautiful. It was such a wonderful creature."