Since it was just Halloween, we'll highlight two dark and mysterious creatures this post: the Dumbo Octopus and the Vampire Squid. These cephalopods live far down in the ocean's depths.
According to the Discovery Channel, "The deep-sea "Dumbo" octopus got its nickname from obvious places, but the benthic cephalopod Grimpoteuthis is equipped with large fins (which may resemble mammalian ears) to help it swim."
The other crazy cephalopod is the vampire squid, whose scientific name (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) means "vampire squid from hell". It has very large eyes: proportionately the largest eye size to body size ratio of any animal in the world (marinebio.org). The vampire squid does not expel ink like other squid, but has organs called photophores all over its body that can produce clouds of luminescent particles which glow anywhere from 2-9 minutes. When alarmed, the vampire squid can fold its tentacles inside out over its body and head, displaying spines on the inside of its tentacles.
According to the Discovery Channel, "The deep-sea "Dumbo" octopus got its nickname from obvious places, but the benthic cephalopod Grimpoteuthis is equipped with large fins (which may resemble mammalian ears) to help it swim."
The other crazy cephalopod is the vampire squid, whose scientific name (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) means "vampire squid from hell". It has very large eyes: proportionately the largest eye size to body size ratio of any animal in the world (marinebio.org). The vampire squid does not expel ink like other squid, but has organs called photophores all over its body that can produce clouds of luminescent particles which glow anywhere from 2-9 minutes. When alarmed, the vampire squid can fold its tentacles inside out over its body and head, displaying spines on the inside of its tentacles.
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