(ISNS) -- The sinisterly named vampire squid dwells in water far too harsh for any of its relatives. Now scientists find it survives there by feeding on unliving matter instead of live prey, unlike any known living squid or octopus.
The creature's scientific name Vampyroteuthis infernalis, which means "vampire squid from hell," was awarded for skin that can look black, eyes that can appear red, and cape-like webbing between its arms. It has a relatively small body reaching up to 5 inches long, which has a gelatinous consistency similar to a jellyfish.
The name "vampire squid" is actually a misnomer. Although Vampyroteuthis is a cephalopod just as squid, octopuses, cuttlefish and nautiloids are, it is the only known living member of a distinct order of animals. Like octopuses, it has eight arms; like squid, it has two extra limbs, but while squid possess a pair of feeding tentacles used to catch prey, Vampyroteuthis has two retractable filaments up to eight times the length of its body that have puzzled researchers for years.
Continued: http://www.livescience.com/23469-scientists-reveal-vampire-squids-strange-eating-habits.html
The creature's scientific name Vampyroteuthis infernalis, which means "vampire squid from hell," was awarded for skin that can look black, eyes that can appear red, and cape-like webbing between its arms. It has a relatively small body reaching up to 5 inches long, which has a gelatinous consistency similar to a jellyfish.
The name "vampire squid" is actually a misnomer. Although Vampyroteuthis is a cephalopod just as squid, octopuses, cuttlefish and nautiloids are, it is the only known living member of a distinct order of animals. Like octopuses, it has eight arms; like squid, it has two extra limbs, but while squid possess a pair of feeding tentacles used to catch prey, Vampyroteuthis has two retractable filaments up to eight times the length of its body that have puzzled researchers for years.
Continued: http://www.livescience.com/23469-scientists-reveal-vampire-squids-strange-eating-habits.html
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