Evening star., 1948-01-05
Stars, Men and Atoms
Newly Found Monster
Relic Of 200 Million Years
Vampire Squid, Only one Of Species,
Lives Two Miles Under Sea
By Thomas r. Henry

~ Thomas N. Henry
NEW HAVEN, Jan. 5-A coal-b black, luminous
creature like an octopus, with bright red eyes.
carrying . black umbrella many times bigger
than itself. with two big tail lamps equipped
with blue blinkers, 00000, 600 0-year-old living
fossil, altogether about the queerest animal
found In this generation, has been de-
scribed for the first time at the Bingham
Oceanographic Laboratory here. -
IT differs 20 markedly from anything else
In the world today that 1t has been classified
as q distinct geological order-a mollusk vague
ly related to both squid and octopus but still far
removed from either. Its nearest relatives are
fossils found in rocks In Germany dating from
the time Of the dinosaurs.
Because Of its weird appearance it has been
appropriately named "vanpyroteuthis infer.
nails" the vampire squid Of hell" It is .
creature Of oceans sub-abysmal depths, rang.
ing down to nearly 2 miles and never ascend-
ing to more than half mile below the surface.
Apparently 1t is found In all the oceans except
the Arctic and Antarctic. The depths ct
which it is found depend on the density Of
the sea water and this varies for the different
seas. e.-, -.
Nothing Known Of Habits.
It probably is . fercely predatory animal.
Actually nothing Is known Of its ways Of life.
It passes its existence lin perpetual darkness.
At the best only q weird green light barely
penetrates the great depths. Only four or dvs
living specimens ever have been seen. There
are about q hundred specimens In biological
museums throughout the world. The creature
had attracted little attention until the present
study being conducted by Miss Grace Pickford
OF the Bingham Laboratory stan.
of he dns,thQ n In
self Luminous It's body is covered with light
producing organs. Its ten tentacles are joined
by q black membrane 20 that, when extended.
they have the appearance OF an umbrella
turned inside out. The animals body, about
four inches long, Is behind or under this UNI
brella. Exactly In the center is its hard, pow
erful, parrot-like beak.
At each side Of the head are the bright red
eyes. Apparently the black umbrella Is spread
out rs the luminous creature approaches its
prey. as q means of concealment Unlike itS
extant relatives, it has no means OF surrounding
itself with q cloud Of black, ink-like secretion.
Have Structure of Eyes.
The two rear taillights have the general
structure of eyes. They may be degenerate
eyes, 1t apparently is able to change the color
Of the light from brown to red, to shut II on
altogether by means Of . single eyelid, or to
give it blue tinge by means Of the blinkers
with which the organ Is equipped.
It swims backward by means Of q jet propul-
sion mechanism, common to this entire group
Of molluscas. Like the squid, It has ten ten
tacles. One of these is retractile so that 1t can
be used essentially as hand. -
Creatures of this order apparently were quits
common in the seas Of the Jurassic geological
period, the time Of the giant dinosaurs. With
this single exception all became extinct. 1t
presumably survived because Of its deep sea
habitat where it escaped from the enemies
which may have destroyed the others. Conn
pared with the existing squid and octopus 1t
is an extremely archaic creature. one OF the
few survivals Of living things in earth over
100000 900 years. .t