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Octopus & squid

Vampire Squid

Vampyroteuthis infernalis

Also known as: Deepsea Squid, Vampire Squid from Hell

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Adult
@fishx6 · Monterey Bay Aquarium, United States · April 20231 / 1
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Overview

Found singly living at extreme depths on the sea floor.
They feed on detritus, marine snow or zooplankton not blood. Attracting their prey with the help of light organs at the end of their arms!

They move slowly foraging for food on the sea floor, by flapping their ear-like fins and using their webbed arms to steer! They do not have an ink sac as they rarely encounter predators, but if they do they will turn themselves inside out, in a pineapple or pumpkin posture.

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How to identify

COLOURS
Body shape
tentacles
Head & Mouth
ears
Behaviour
bottom dwellingsolitary

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

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Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Circumtropical
  • Country only · 1
LIVES IN

Found singly living at extreme depths on the sea floor.

RANGE
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Adult photos 1

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Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumMollusca
    3. classCephalopoda
    4. orderVampyromorpha
    5. familyVampyroteuthidae
    6. genusVampyroteuthis
    7. speciesVampyroteuthis infernalis Chun, 1903

    SourcesWoRMSWikipedia