Friday Cephalopod: That cold blue eye…

It's the Sinatra of the sea!

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

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

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)

A couple of videos of these beauties on youtube.

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

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

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

@ #2

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

@#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!

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

An Ocean Battle Between Steam Ships and a Cyber-Octopus

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.

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

"Devil vampire squid"?

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

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

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..."

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

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

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.

Cutie.

Vampyroteuthis dawwfernalis. :3

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

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

Do I see a sly smile?

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!

finally... respect

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

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.

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

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

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

SQUEE!! I got my Vampire Squid. :)

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

Thanks, PZ!

toni

Wicked!

I did not say this. I am not here.

Oh... so that's what they were crocheting over on Grammar Police a couple years ago (see the first comment).

Hey, is that thing trying to mimic a fierce countenance complete with jaws and teeth???

A little lower and the viewer would get that side-view impression...

Dr. Meyers,

You might like this video: Octapodi (animated short nominated for Academy Award):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgtR7NXyfw8

I thought it was cute, plus it highlights just how smart octopi are!

:)