Vampire squid

Classification

Mollusca › Cephalopoda › Vampyromorphida › Vampyroteuthidae

1. Kingdom Animalia animals
   • Many-celled organisms that eat other living things for energy (heterotrophs)
   • Cells have no cell walls
   • Most can move at some stage of life
2. Clade Bilateria bilateral animals
   • Body has a left and right side that mirror each other (bilateral symmetry)
   • Head end with concentrated nerves; three tissue layers
   • Includes about 99% of all living animal species
3. Clade Protostomia protostomes
   • In the embryo, the first opening usually becomes the mouth
   • Main nerve cord runs along the belly (ventral)
   • Includes mollusks, worms, and arthropods
4. Clade Spiralia mollusks, worms & kin
   • Embryos usually divide in a spiral pattern (spiral cleavage)
   • Many have a swimming larva with a band of cilia (trochophore)
   • Includes mollusks and segmented worms
5. Phylum Mollusca mollusks
   • Soft body with a muscular foot and a fold of tissue (mantle) that makes the shell
   • Most have a rasping, tongue-like ribbon of teeth (radula)
   • Includes snails, clams, octopuses, and chitons
6. Class Cephalopoda cephalopods
   • Foot is modified into arms and tentacles around the head
   • Large brains and camera-like eyes
   • Jet propulsion by squirting water through a funnel (siphon)
7. Subclass Coleoidea octopuses, squids & cuttlefish
   • Shell is internal, reduced, or absent
   • Most have an ink sac and color-changing skin cells (chromatophores)
   • Includes octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish
8. Superorder Octopodiformes octopuses & vampire squid
   • Eight arms, with no long feeding tentacles
   • Includes octopuses and the vampire squid
9. Order Vampyromorphida vampire squids
   • The vampire squid: eight webbed arms plus two long, sticky filaments
   • Lives in low-oxygen water and eats drifting marine snow
10. Family Vampyroteuthidae vampire squids
    • Has light organs (photophores) and can release glowing mucus
    • Covered in a dark web like a cloak
11. Genus Vampyroteuthis
    • Species in the same genus are very close relatives and often look alike.
12. Species Vampyroteuthis infernalis Vampire squid

Closest relatives in the guide

• Chambered nautilus Nautilus pompilius same class
• Colossal squid Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni same class
• Common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis same class
• Common octopus Octopus vulgaris same class
• Dumbo octopus Grimpoteuthis bathynectes same class
• Flamboyant cuttlefish Metasepia pfefferi same class
• Giant Pacific octopus Enteroctopus dofleini same class
• Giant squid Architeuthis dux same class