Vampyroteuthidae-+Whalen

Vampire squid Classification Kingdom: animalia Phylum: mollusca Class: cephalopoda Order: vampyromorphida Family: vampyroteuthidae Genus: vampyroteuthis Species: V. infernalis

Habitat The Vampire Squid lives in tropical or temperate seas at depths of 1800-3500 feet. It is a pyrogenic relic, meaning it is the only surviving member of its order.

Movement The Vampire Squid has a gelatinous body like an octopus. In fact, it was originally mistaken for one. It is capable of moving suprisingly fast, using a combination of jet propulsion and fins on its head.

Characteristics Vampire Squids are colored red to jet-black, and have blue or red eyes. They can grow 6 inches to 1 foot. It also has the largest eyes compared to body size of any animal. Its tentacles have only one row of suckers, but are covered in small spikes called cirri. There is no difference between male and female squids. Its diet consists of prawns, cnidarians, coepods, and other small invertibrates.

Response to Stimuli The Vampire Squid is able to survive long periods without food because it has a slow metabolism. It has also developed bioluminecent photopores that it can control, both to attract prey and confuse predators. Instead of squirting ink like other squids, it can eject bioluminecent mucus from the tips of its tentacles. A unique feature of the Vampire Squid is a thin membrane of skin that stretches between its tentacles. It can pull this membrane back over its body to camouflage itself.

Reproduction We know little about the reproductive habits of deep ocean animals. The Vampire Squid lays few eggs with a long incubation period. The offspring are roughly 8 millimeters in length and have no skin membrane between their tentacles. The maturing period is unknown. Phylum Information The Mollusca phylum has several distinguishing characteristics. All mollusks have a hard exterior called the mantle, a soft interior called the viscal mass, and an organ called a foot that has evolved differently on different animals. Here are some examples: