Note

Vampyroteuthis infernalis Color Differences

Richard E. Young

These photographs of Vampyroteuthis were taken insitu by an ROV of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. The two photographs were taken from widely different areas in the North Pacific showing geographic differenences in coloration. The left image is a side view of the vampire in an unusual pose. Note the peculiar nature of the web in this posture which seems to suggest how the web can contract and expand. Also peculiar are the small epidermal photophores on the arms that seem to align in series. In the right image, the arms are aligned and the presence of a web is hardly noticed.

Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

Figure. Vampyroteuthis infernalis. Left - Side view, central North Pacific. Right - Oblique-anterior view, Monterey Bay. Note the difference in color between the two. © MBARI

About This Page


University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA

All Rights Reserved.

close box

This page is a note that is attached to a leaf of the Tree of Life.

ToL notes provide brief accounts of characteristics, short summaries, commentaries, media files, taxonomic information, or identification tools for a given group of organisms.

For a more detailed explanation of the different ToL page types, have a look at the Structure of the Tree of Life page.

close box

Vampyroteuthis infernalis

Page Content

articles & notes

collections

people

Explore Other Groups

random page

  go to the Tree of Life home page
top