The Vampire Squid

1
The Vampire Squid
Dracula From the Deep
2
Description

• Is Pale Red to Jet Black, depending on the
  lighting conditions
• Is 5-12 inches long
• Is a mollusk, meaning it is a cold blooded
  invertebrate
• Has spines on arms, but are tipped with suckers
• Large ear-like fins help swim under crushing
  pressure

3
Food Sources

• The Vampire Squid eats
• Deep sea prawns
• Jellyfish
• Crustaceans
• And other simple animals
• (cnidaria)

4
Habitat

• The Vampire Squid lives 2,000-3,000m below sea
  level
• The temperatures are near freezing and pressures
  near a ton per square inch
• Food is scarce so you cant pass up a chance for
  a meal
• Most animals are small to avoid the crunch of the
  deep sea pressure
  

5
Predators

• The beaks of Vampire Squids have been found in
  the stomachs of Sperm Whales
• Deep diving pinnipeds (such as seals and sea
  lions)
• It avoids being eaten by using its bioluminescent
  organs to light up, and then slowly retracting
  them to give an impression that its getting away
• If all else fails it will cover its body with its
  spine-covered tentacles, loose a blast of glowing
  goo, and make a dash for it (next page)

6
(No Transcript)
7
Enviromental Impact

• The Vampire Squid is indirectly affected by the
  prawns it eats
• The Prawns eat polluted plankton, then gets eaten
  by the Vampire Squid which then is poisoned by
  oil or chemicals

8
Interesting Facts

• The Vampire Squid uses a the chemical hemocyanin
  (a type of respiratory protein) to transport
  oxygen more efficiently throughout its body
• The Vampire Squid is more closely related to an
  octopus than a squid!
• The Vampire Squid and other deep-sea animals all
  grow slowly because of the lack of nutrients, but
  live much longer

9

• I hope you have learned quite a bit about this
  amazing creature of the deep from this report.
  For the Vampire Squid is really a unique alien of
  the Midnight Zone. Please see my sources to learn
  more. (next slide)

10

• Thanks to
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
• http//www.thecephalopodpage.org/
• http//www.eol.org/
• http//www.nationalgeogrphic.com