Vampire Squid

The "Vampire Squid From Hell," also known as the vampire squid, is a spooky deep-sea mollusk that may be found all over the warm oceans of the planet. The ability of these creatures to exist in a unique environment known as an oxygen minimum zone is what makes them so peculiar. Very few organisms can survive in OMZs because of the incredibly low levels of oxygen present there. Instead of ink sacs, these squids have the ability to emit a cloud of bio-luminescent many orbs of blue light that can blind an assailant and cause him to flee into the deepest darkness. Despite their frightening name and look, these creatures are harmless to people because they can only reach a maximum size of roughly 6 inches.

Small cephalopods called vampire squids can be found in the deepest parts of temperate and tropical oceans. The vampire squid thrives in areas of the water with the least amount of oxygen due to its bioluminescent organs and distinct oxygen metabolism.

Although octopuses and squids are their closest relatives, it is distinguished from them by having two long retractile filaments that are situated between the first two pairs of arms on its dorsal side. This characteristic places it in its own order, Vampyromorphida. It is the only known surviving member of its order and a phylogenetic remnant. The first specimens were found during the Valdivia Expedition and were initially classified as an octopus by German teuthologist Carl Chun in 1903; however, they were eventually placed in a different order along with a number of extinct taxa.