What are the vampire squid and the vampire fish?

A Vampire squid

A vampire squid surrounded by marine snow is captured on movie throughout a dive on the E/V Nautilus. Picture credit score: Ocean Exploration Belief

The vampire squid is a small ( 12-inch-long ) cephalopod present in deep temperate and tropical seas. Initially considered an octopus as a result of it lacks the 2 lengthy tentacles that normally lengthen previous a squid’s eight arms, the vampire squid possesses traits of each squid and octopi, and occupies its personal order in taxonomy (scientific classification).

Its enormous, vibrant blue eyes — proportionally the biggest within the animal kingdom — darkish colour, and the velvety, cloak-like webbing that connects its arms give the vampire squid its widespread title. Its scientific title, Vampyroteuthis infernalis, actually means “vampire squid of Hell”! Whereas it doesn’t suck blood like its legendary namesake, the vampire squid is a “residing relic” that developed from an ancestor of the octopus, and its lineage goes again 165 million years within the fossil file.

The vampire squid is an extremophile, inhabiting the darkish ocean depths from 2,000-3,000 ft . If threatened, this defensive deep-sea Dracula does not eject ink, as do most of its cephalopod cousins. Nor can it change colour to confuse intruders the best way its shallow-water cousins can; residing because it does in the deep ocean, the place little mild penetrates, color-changing is a pointless technique. As a substitute, the vampire squid squirts a copious cloud of sticky, bioluminescent mucus towards would-be predators (and the occasional analysis ROV). Ewww!

vampire fish

A payara, generally known as a “vampire fish.” Picture credit score: Unique Fish Wikia

On the freshwater facet, the vampire fish is a nickname for the payara, an considerable gamefish discovered within the Amazon Basin. Whereas this massive, 1.5-to-3 foot fish doesn’t suck the blood of its prey, its six-inch-long fangs, which protrude from an undershot jaw, end in a face solely a (payara) mom might love.

In recent times, the payara has gained reputation as an occupant in massive, “aggressive” freshwater aquariums. Stay goldfish are amongst this fangy predator’s favourite prey. Consequently, aquarists are suggested to pick out tankmates too huge to suit inside this vampire’s saber-toothed maw!

The place do fish go when it freezes outdoors?

White Shoal Lighthouse in northern Lake Michigan. (Courtesy Dick Moehl, Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association)

White Shoal Lighthouse in northern Lake Michigan.

Have you ever ever questioned how fish survive in chilly winter climate, or the place they go when lakes and ponds freeze over?

Like many individuals, fish are typically much less lively within the chilly. As cold-blooded creatures, their metabolism dips when temperatures take a dive.

The layer of ice that types on prime of a lake, pond, river, or stream gives some insulation that helps the waterbody retain its warmth. As a result of heat water sinks in very chilly freshwater, fish in these water our bodies typically collect in teams close to the underside. Some species, like koi and gobies, could burrow into gentle sediments and go dormant like frogs and different amphibians, however most fish merely college within the deepest swimming pools and take a “winter relaxation.”

On this resting state, fishes’ hearts decelerate, their wants for meals and oxygen lower, and so they transfer about little or no. Should you’ve ever gone ice fishing, you already know {that a} lengthy line, a sluggish, colourful lure, and a hearty portion of persistence are sometimes required to land this quiet quarry! Widespread ice-fishing species embrace walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, and rainbow trout.

Do you know?

Similar to the human “snowbirds” who fly south for the winter, saltwater fish typically cruise to hotter climes when the mercury plummets. With the exceptions of the polar areas, salty ocean water hardly ever freezes. Oceangoing species additionally have a tendency to remain close to the underside, the place hotter water and swifter currents prevail.


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Final up to date: 02/26/21
Creator: NOAA
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