The Black Vault

Vampire Squid Are Sea's Garbage Disposals

By Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience Senior Writer | LiveScience.com – 4 hrs ago

Despite their name, vampire squid are not deep-sea bloodsuckers. In fact, new research finds these mysterious creatures are garbage disposals of the ocean.

Using long, skinny tendrils called filaments, vampire squid capture marine detritus hovering in the water ? from crustacean eyes and legs to larvae poop ? then coat it in mucus before chowing down, according to the new findings.

The discovery is a first for cephalopods, which include squid, octopus and cuttlefish, said study researcher Henk-Jan Hoving.

"It's the first record of a cephalopod that doesn't hunt for living prey," Hoving, a postdoctoral scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California, told LiveScience.

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I remember watching a documentary on these squid some time ago. Saw the article and thought it was interesting that they are closer to understanding them.