@mbari_news: Celebrating Hoa Hoa season with our favorite cephalopod ❤️⁠ ⁠ Unlike those other guys, Vampyroteuthis feeds on marine snow—a flurry of dead plankton, poop, mucus, and other organic material sinking from the waters above. Two long, thin, sticky filaments collect bits of “snow.” Once their filaments are loaded with food, Vampyroteuthis pulls them through their arms. Suckers underneath produce mucus to concentrate the particles, then soft, finger-like cirri transfer the meal to the vampire squid’s mouth.⁠ ⁠ Despite the name, the vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) is neither a vampire nor a squid, but the last surviving member of an ancient group of cephalopods. With the help of deep-diving robots, MBARI scientists are answering fundamental questions about how this living fossil feeds, moves, and survives.⁠ ⁠ Our work is also revealing the complex web of connections between the surface and the deep sea. We have learned how deep-sea scavengers like the vampire squid help transport carbon to the abyssal seafloor, playing an important role in maintaining ocean health and buffering our planet from climate change. #deepsea #oceanlife #ocean #hoahoaseason

MBARI

Open In TikTok:

Region: US

Wednesday 14 October 2026 05:23:53 GMT