Chinese Scientists May Have Identified a Newly Discovered Vampire Squid Species – the Second Known Species in the World.
The Vampire Squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) measures about 30 cm in length. Despite its scary appearance and name, it is a scavenger of the deep sea and poses no threat to larger animals, aside from small invertebrates. This species can be found in temperate and tropical ocean environments across various regions of the world.
Newly discovered vampire squid species V. pseudoinfernalis. (Photo: Dajun Qiu).
The first species was officially recognized in 1903 during a deep-sea expedition led by German marine biologist Carl Chun. Several additional species were later described but ultimately turned out to be members of the same species.
This newly discovered species, V. pseudoinfernalis, has very distinctive physical characteristics. This squid develops a second set of fins closer to its head as it matures, while its original fins disappear.
“Ten equivalent species previously described have shown some morphological differences at different life stages,” said the lead author of the study, Dajun Qiu, a marine biologist at the East China Sea Oceanographic Institute.
Now, in a recent study published in the journal BioRxiv, researchers have described the second vampire squid species found near Hainan Island, China, naming it V. pseudoinfernalis. It was discovered at depths of about 800 to 1,000 meters below the sea surface, where very little light penetrates.
This newly identified species has several unique features that distinguish it from V. infernalis. For example, the positioning of two photophores—light-producing organs—between its fins and tail differs significantly.
In V. infernalis, these photophores are located one-third of the way between the fins and the end of the body, while in V. pseudoinfernalis, they are positioned midway between these points. V. pseudoinfernalis also possesses a pointed tail, whereas V. infernalis has no tail at all. This newly discovered species also features a beak with longer wings on the lower jaw.
Genetic analysis has further confirmed that V. pseudoinfernalis is a distinct species, noted biologist Qiu.
