The Vampire Squid from Hell
Deep sea vampire squid. With a Latin name literally meaning Vampire Squid from Hell, it’s easy to imagine this deep-sea dweller as a nightmarish monster. But suspended at depths of up to 900 metres, this curious cephalopod is neither a squid nor a bloodsucker. It belongs to its own order, called Vampyromorphida. Named after its [blood-red colour and] webbed arms that resemble a cape, Vampyroteuthis a passive suspension feeder, consuming sinking particles of decaying matter and fecal pellets that it captures with long, filamentous tentacles. When threatened, it turns itself inside out in what’s called the ‘pineapple posture’, exposing intimidating spines called ‘cirri’ to deter predators. But again, it’s all for show. If that fails, they expel a cloud of shimmering bioluminescent material, and vanish into the depths once more.
