# Vampire Squid (*Vampyroteuthis infernalis*)

> The vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) is a deep-sea cephalopod that turns its cape inside out and eats marine snow, not blood. Adults reach 30 cm and are Least Concern.

- **Category:** Invertebrate
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Least Concern
- **Range:** Oxygen-minimum zones of deep oceans worldwide.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/vampire-squid/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Mollusca
- **Class:** Cephalopoda
- **Order:** Vampyromorphida
- **Family:** Vampyroteuthidae
- **Genus:** Vampyroteuthis

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Vampyroteuthis infernalis |
| Diet | Detritivore |
| Habitat | Deep midwater |
| Lifespan | 8–10 years |
| Weight | 0.5–1 kg |
| Top speed | up to 3 km/h |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |

## Cape of cirri, not a bloodsucker

A dark webbing between arms can invert like a vampire cloak, exposing soft cirri tipped with suckers. Red-blue photophores dot the skin. It is not a true squid or octopus but its own order.

## Marine snow specialist

Detritus, dead plankton, and gel particles are collected with sticky filaments on cirri — unusual among cephalopods that usually hunt live prey.

## Oxygen-minimum zones worldwide

Temperate and tropical deep midwaters with low oxygen. Vertical migration places it in food-rich layers at night.

## Secure in the abyss

Least Concern with huge deep habitat and no fishery. ROV footage made it an icon of deep-sea biology despite the scary name.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do vampire squids drink blood?

No — they eat marine snow (detritus and dead plankton); the name refers to their dark cape-like webbing.

### What happens when a vampire squid is threatened?

It inverts its webbed arms to expose spiny cirri and can release bioluminescent mucus.

### Is a vampire squid a true squid?

It sits in its own order Vampyromorphida, separate from squids and octopuses.

### How deep do vampire squids live?

Hundreds to about 900 m in oxygen-poor midwaters worldwide.

### What is marine snow?

Slowly sinking detritus and dead plankton that feeds many deep animals.

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/vampire-squid/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.