The vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis, lit. 'vampire squid from hell') is a small cephalopod found throughout temperate and tropical oceans in extreme deep sea conditions. [2][3] The vampire squid uses its bioluminescent organs and its unique oxygen metabolism to thrive in the parts of the ocean with the lowest concentrations of oxygen.

A vampire squid can be a reddish rust color or black. Its color varies by region — off the coast of California, vampire squids are rust color, but in other parts of the world are black. Can a vampire squid change color?

The vampire squid is a small, dark-colored cephalopod that's found at extreme depths, between 2,000 and 3,000 feet. The vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) gets its name from its dark coloring. It does not feed on blood.

The vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis, lit. 'vampire squid from hell') is a small cephalopod found throughout temperate and tropical oceans in extreme deep sea conditions. The vampire squid uses its bioluminescent organs and its unique oxygen metabolism to thrive in the parts of the ocean with the lowest concentrations of oxygen.

Strange things lurk in the planet’s deepest, darkest corners. And it doesn’t get much deeper and darker than the bottom of the ocean, or stranger than Vampyroteuthis infernalis – the ‘vampire squid from hell’. What is a vampire squid?

The vampire squid has black chromatophores with reddish-brown ones interspersed. In contrast to other cephalopods, these chromatophores are non-functional because they have lost the muscles that enable rapid color change.

Vampire Squid Profile. Despite its name and similar appearance to a squid or an octopus, the vampire squid is actually neither of the two. It’s a cephalopod that’s found at deep-sea, and is the only surviving species in its order known as Vampyromorphida.

Vampire squids live deep in the ocean, and while they don’t suck blood, their red eyes, black coloration, and the cloak-like webbing between their arms certainly gives them a very “vampire-y” appearance. Learn more.

Vampire squid have a gelatinous body colored jet black to pale reddish, depending on location and light conditions. It has eight arms that are connected by webbing and each is lined with rows of fleshy cirri (spine-like projections).

With a scientific name that means "the vampire squid from hell," you'd expect the vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) to be a fearsome predator terrorizing the deep. Despite its demonic look, that isn't the case; instead, the vampire squid collects and eats drifting particles called "marine snow" using two long, sticky filaments. It doesn ...