Life Cycle of a Vampire Squid

A creature of the deep sea, vampire squids (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) spend their entire live cycle in tropical and temperate parts of the ocean where little light exists. This small squid gets its name because of its jet-black skin, red eyes and webbing between its arms, causing it to resemble a vampire.

  1. Description

    • Vampire squids have eight arms as well as two filaments that extend past the length of its body. The squid uses the filaments as sensors retracting them into pockets within its body when not in use. The squid also has two fins on its mantle. The squid reaches up to 11 inches in length with females growing larger than males. The vampire squid's most interesting feature is its large eye, one of the largest proportionately of any animal in the world, according to the University of Michigan's Museum of Zoology. All of these features help the squid to find food and survive throughout its life cycle.

    Adult Life

    • Adult vampire squids live at depths between 4,200 to 8,200 feet where minimal oxygen exists. At that depth, temperatures reach between 35 and 43 F. The carnivorous vampire squid uses its two sensory filaments to gently feel for prey, including prawns and other small marine organisms. Once it locates prey, the squid swims around the creature in an attempt to catch it. The squid relies on its ability to descend slowly while maintaining its balance to search for and catch prey. But mature squids move fast when they need to, such as when they feel threatened. Sometimes the squid uses a defensive posture, called pineapple posturing, where it spreads its arms and web over its head and mantle, essentially turning themselves inside out. By protecting these areas, the squid makes it far more difficult for predators to injure it. The squid also relies on light organs located on the tips of its arms and at the base of its fins to confuse predators.

    Reproduction

    • Vampire squids mate by relying on the male to transfer spermatophores to the female through their funnels. Once they mate, the female vampire squid discharges the fertilized eggs into the water where they float in small masses.

    Egg Stage

    • Each immature vampire squid relies on the yolk found within its small, opaque egg to nourish itself and grow. Mature eggs reach less than a quarter inch in length. Once the juveniles hatch out of the eggs, they immediately begin living and searching for food on their own.

    Juveniles

    • The young hatchlings drift with the water once they leave the egg. They resemble the adults except for a lack of webbing between their arms. Their eyes also look much smaller. Once the vampire squid reaches about 8 to 10 inches in length, it begins to grow a second set of fins. Once the new pair of fins reaches full size, the older fins get reabsorbed back into the squid's body. The new fins help the young squid change from using jet propulsion to swim to using its fins for propulsion.