The Vampire Squid from Hell
Its scientific name means 'vampire squid from hell'. It has red eyes, a black cloak, and glowing tips. And it eats the ocean's falling debris.
What was reported
In 1903, the German biologist Carl Chun described a strange creature brought up from the deep sea by a scientific expedition. With its dark red skin, webbing between its arms like a cloak, large blue or red eyes and spines on its arms, he named it Vampyroteuthis infernalis, the 'vampire squid from hell'.
It lives in deep water where there's very little oxygen, too little for most predators. When threatened, it turns its cloak inside out to cover its body and releases a cloud of glowing mucus.
Explanations offered
Despite its name, it's not a vampire or a true squid but a relative of both octopuses and squid. Studies by researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute showed it feeds gently on 'marine snow', the dead material that drifts down from above. It's a living relative of animals from over 100 million years ago.
- When
- Described in 1903
- Where
- Monterey Canyon, off California, USA
- Witnesses
- Deep-sea explorers
- Status
- Confirmed
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