Unknown "vampire" appears in the twilight zone of the East Sea

(NLDO) - Lurking in the sea with very little light, the new "vampire" species named Vampyroteuthis pseudoinfernalis is a scavenger.

Vampyroteuthis pseudoinfernalis is actually a squid, belonging to the "vampire squid" group.

This group of squid has a vampire element that is always present in the nomenclature due to its scary appearance: dark skin and eight webbed tentacles that join together to form a "cloak" covering the body.

Furthermore, it lives in what is called the twilight zone of the ocean, an area about 200-1,000 meters deep, where there is very little light but not as complete darkness as the deeper areas below.

Portrait of newly discovered vampire squid - Photo: Dajun Qiu

In a new study recently published online on BioRxiv, a team of scientists led by marine biologist Dajun Qiu from the South China Sea Institute of Oceanography (China) said that this "vampire" has appeared in the northern part of the South China Sea, an area near Hainan Island - China.

It lives at a depth of 800-1,000 m, which is in the twilight zone.

This is the second species of vampire squid discovered in the area. The previously known species was Vampyroteuthis infernalis.

The new species Vampyroteuthis pseudoinfernalis looks like a juvenile form of Vampyroteuthis infernalis, and has distinct features, such as growing a second set of fins closer to its head as an adult and losing its original fins.

In photos of preserved specimens, the new vampire squid looks like a black gelatinous lump.

But in the deep sea environment, it really does throw on its "cloak" and glide like the way vampire characters fly in movies.

Scientists believe the new species' diet is similar to that of its relatives.

Despite their name, vampires are not blood-sucking demons. Instead, they are more like marine scavengers, feeding on carrion and other animal excrement.

Although the vampire squid lineage Vampyromorphida consists of only the two species mentioned above today, scientists say they have many ancient relatives that are now extinct.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/ma-ca-rong-chua-tung-biet-lo-dien-o-vung-chang-vang-bien-dong-196240704171507069.htm