The Vampire Squid, a Living Fossil of the Abyss

The vampire squid is a peculiar creature, with its deep red colour, icy blue eyes, and webbed tentacles. Vampire squid are remarkably well-suited for a life at these depths. The isolated environment around it has changed little in 300 million years, meaning there has been no selection pressure to drive any large-scale natural selection in the species. For now, it is evolution’s near perfect solution to the harsh, unforgiving environment of the oceanic deep. The vampire squid dwells in the mesopelagic zone of the ocean. Here, there may be less than 5 percent oxygen saturation and little or no light. But while most cephalopods cannot survive below 50% oxygen saturation, the vampire squid has found ways of adapting to these conditions, with a slowed metabolism that causes it to require very little oxygen to survive. When feeding, it rarely actively swims, but prefers to drift on ocean currents. By using this efficient method, the squid uses very little energy, which it saves up for times when it faces dan