Strange Creatures of the Deep Sea: Vampire Squid

Vampire squid earned their name by having tentacles that resemble teeth, a set of suckers and two webbed fins that look like veined bat wings. Its reddish-brown skin appears blood-red at times. The animal flaps its large "vampire cloak" to capture oxygen. Vampire squid live at depths of two miles or more, where no sunlight can penetrate.

When the blue-blooded vampire squid was first discovered, it was mistaken for an octopus because of it's eight arms. After being classified as part of the squid family, it was determined to only be a distant relative of both the octopus and squid. Now this unusual sea creature has been put in a class all by itself, a sole survivor, of which it is the only member.

In comparison to its small size of 6-12 inches long, the Vampire Squid have the largest eyes of any animal on the planet. When graduate student- Alison Sweeney- wanted to learn about eye evolution, she used the Vampire Squid in her study. Animals need a special lens to see underwater, designed for picking out details. Ms. Sweeney found the ancient age of the Vampire Squid to be superior to any up-to-date microscope.

Female vampire squids are larger than the males. During reproduction, the male funnels sperm into a deep sac located near the female's eyes. [ Here's mud in your eye!] The female discharges the fertilized eggs into the water. There is evidence from the masses of free-floating eggs found underwater that deep-sea creatures form groups to spawn.

This living fossil floats through the virtual darkness, giving off florescent light from organs found at the bottom of its fins and on the tip of each arm. The Vampire Squid is capable of putting on a light show, to rival the local nightclub. Complete with flashing colors and the ability to change from bright to dark, guaranteed to hypnotize the local fish population. To see the Vampire Squid's red eyes flash a haunting blue- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmi9CU52Ks1

Vampire squids lack a backbone, and look like a jellyfish with a shell shielding its soft underbelly. It's long arms flash a bright blue color at the tip when provoked. If threatened, the animal can curl its arms over its head in defense. In case of attack, it will shoot out a cloud of glowing mucus to create a diversion and hide from the predator. The Vampire Squid is able to make a fast get-away using jet propulsion.

Vampire Squids had a second pair of arms that evolved into retractable filaments. With these tools, the animal is able to reach out well past it's length. The thread like filament can be drawn back into pockets located within the web when not being used. Biologists think the filaments are used for sensory purposes to find prey. Their cousin, the octopus, also had filaments that were lost during their evolution.

Concerning most deep-sea creatures and their environment, scientists are still in the dark, making only educated guesses. Half of the marine life collected from the deep ocean is labeled 'unidentified species'. We just don't know enough about what lurks below the surface.

Sources:

Robinson, Bruce. "Light Production by the Arm Tips of the Deep-Sea Vampire Squid". Biological Bulletin [October 2003], pgs. 102-109

Elizabeth Pennisi. "Loopy Lens Proteins Provide Squid with Excellent Eyesight". Science [January 2007]

http://www.seasky.org/monsters/sea7a1i.html