The vampire squid is remarkable for many reasons, not least its eye – measuring up to 2.5cm across, it’s proportionally one of the largest in the animal kingdom.
Perfectly adapted for life in the ocean’s inky depths, their eyes can appear blue or sometimes red, but really, they're clear – the colouration is often a reflection of light from the remotely operated vehicle that recorded the animal.
These huge organs are sensitive to distant bioluminescence, helping them detect potential food or mates in the dark ocean.
Despite the spooky name, the vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis – the ‘vampire squid from hell’) isn’t a bloodsucker, or indeed a squid, but instead the sole member of its own cephalopod order that feeds on marine snow: particles of dead animals and plants, poop and snot.
This extraordinary footage shows the eye in all its glory.
- See the chilling moment a vampire squid turns itself inside out
- The weirdest eyes in the animal kingdom
- Meet the strangest animals in the ocean, including one that looks a bit like a toast rack
Main image: vampire squid eye. Credit: Getty
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