Humanity has long perpetuated and feared vampire lore, what is commonly known as a night-stalking creature, not quite living, but definitely not dead, feeding on the blood of its unsuspecting human victims. While there is no evidence to support the theory that such a creature exists, there are indeed vampires lurking about in the natural world. One such specimen is the vampire squid.
Unlike its octopod and squid cousins, the vampire squid does not stalk and ambush its prey. In fact, the vampire squid has no living prey at all. It has been recently discovered that this deep sea cephalopod feeds on marine “snow,” or detritus that falls perpetually from shallower depths of the sea. This snow may include bits of flesh from other marine animals that fall victim to predators, but the vampire squid is not equipped to actively hunt for its meal. Instead, it deploys two long filaments that catch the falling snow and retract it into its mouth, floating passively in the water column as it feeds. Check out this fascinating footage of the vampire squid grabbing a bite to eat.
Image via Google Images
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interesting creatures of the deep.