Friday Cephalopod: That cold blue eye… : Pharyngula

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Friday Cephalopod: That cold blue eye…

Category: Cephalopods • Organisms
Posted on: April 3, 2009 6:10 AM, by PZ Myers

Vampyroteuthis infernalis

Figure from Cephalopods: A World Guide ^{(amzn/b&n/abe/pwll)}, by Mark Norman.

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Comments

Posted by: Silva | April 3, 2009 8:35 AM

It's the Sinatra of the sea!

Posted by: flaq | April 3, 2009 8:40 AM

Judging by it's Latin name, that thing will suck your blood and send you straight to hell. Cute.

Posted by: arekksu | April 3, 2009 8:43 AM

compared to the last "critter blog", this one is adorable.

Posted by: scotth | April 3, 2009 8:55 AM

They've got some stunning footage of one of these creatures in the "Ocean's Deep" episode of "Planet Earth" (the real series with David A. doing the narration)

Posted by: Klokwurk | April 3, 2009 9:11 AM

A couple of videos of these beauties on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5ZQH2Uzpew

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3CJIKKSUpg

Posted by: James F | April 3, 2009 9:11 AM

We foresee a slight problem within House Atreides. Paul, Paul Atreides.

Posted by: unicow | April 3, 2009 9:18 AM

@ #2

It's also known as the "Vampire Squid from Hell," which is among the best names ever.

Posted by: Josh | April 3, 2009 9:23 AM

@#6:

"Many have tried."
"They tried and failed?"
"They tried and died."

Seriously, that color in the eye isn't an artifact? That's awesome!

Posted by: Nerd of Redhead, OM | April 3, 2009 9:31 AM

Interesting critter. Any idea what the "ears" are used for?

#10

Posted by: Reginald Selkirk | April 3, 2009 9:40 AM

An Ocean Battle Between Steam Ships and a Cyber-Octopus

#11

Posted by: cpence | April 3, 2009 9:41 AM

That's the greatest scientific name of any species I've ever seen. Every time I need an example of a random species, I'm absolutely going to refer to Vampyroteuthis infernalis.

#12

Posted by: Postman (Formerly Known As Randy) | April 3, 2009 9:47 AM

The blue eyes are very nice. They make for a very sympathetic cephalopod. I'd trust him with my wallet.

#13

Posted by: Runolfr | April 3, 2009 9:49 AM

"Devil vampire squid"?

#14

Posted by: 2 cents | April 3, 2009 10:05 AM

Those ear thingies make it look like a squid pig. Squig?

#15

Posted by: Kris | April 3, 2009 10:08 AM

Indeed! Watch this glorious mollusk is action here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5ZQH2Uzpew

#16

Posted by: Jim in Buffalo | April 3, 2009 10:12 AM

It reminds me of The Tell-Tale Heart...

"I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture --a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold..."

#17

Posted by: Menyambal | April 3, 2009 10:16 AM

That blue eye makes him look aware. The body and the name make him look scary, indeed.

#18

Posted by: scotth | April 3, 2009 10:19 AM

The "ears" are fins/flippers. They are its primary means of locomotion.

#19

Posted by: Andrew | April 3, 2009 10:25 AM

Cool animal. Find it hard to believe that the eye wasn't digitally "finessed." As an amateur wildlife photographer I often wrangle with the fuzzy line between honest and not.

#20

Posted by: Muffin | April 3, 2009 10:38 AM

Cutie.

#21

Posted by: Sclerophanax | April 3, 2009 10:48 AM

Vampyroteuthis dawwfernalis. :3

#22

Posted by: pixelsnake | April 3, 2009 10:54 AM

hmm
Giant worm, bright blue eyes, I'm seeing a trend.
I like it.

#23

Posted by: Spiv | April 3, 2009 10:57 AM

I love the bioluminescent "eyes." What a beautiful beastie.

#24

Posted by: itwasntme | April 3, 2009 11:29 AM

Do I see a sly smile?

#25

Posted by: Masklinn | April 3, 2009 11:45 AM

Vampyroteuthis infernalis is pretty much the most awesome cephalopod on the whole science damned planet. The "reversed" form (where the squid pulls his arms over his mantle, hiding itself in the skin webbing connecting the arms) is beautifully strange (the insider of the webbing is all black, and the inside of the arms themselves is lined with spikes).

Plus when it's afraid it doesn't shoot ink (which would be pretty useless in the oceanic depths) but bioluminescent mucus full of photophores!

#26

Posted by: A Mac | April 3, 2009 12:06 PM

finally... respect

#27

Posted by: Ben | April 3, 2009 12:33 PM

That is a great photo. Thank you for sharing it. I am not a biologist.

#28

Posted by: Paulino | April 3, 2009 12:39 PM

Masklinn, I once had the chance to examine freshly collected V. infernalis, during a oceanographic cruise. The black lining that you refer to, is blacker than anything I've ever seen, blacker than pitch black. The only light you saw coming out of that surface was reflected by the film of water and mucus. There must be some very interesting and unusual pigments under that skin.

#29

Posted by: Pete UK | April 3, 2009 12:45 PM

PZ, how on earth are you gonna trump this next Friday???

#30

Posted by: Twilight | April 3, 2009 12:49 PM

"Vampyroteuthis infernalis" - you guys love giving these things butch names, eh?

Why can't you have a cephalopod named "fluffyus cuddlensis"?

#31

Posted by: ElectricBarbarella | April 3, 2009 2:30 PM

SQUEE!! I got my Vampire Squid. :)

Okay so maybe he didn't do this *for* me, but I can dream. :)

Thanks, PZ!