(click for larger image)
Vampyroteuthis infernalis
Figure from The Deep(amzn/b&n/abe/pwll), by Claire Nouvian.
from Kim Reisenbichler © MBARI 1995
Friday Cephalopod: Wicked cool
(click for larger image)
Vampyroteuthis infernalis
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
Oh, man. You chose my absolute favorite! There’s something about the deep, deep sea that fascinates me. I remember the first time I saw video of this bad boy. I was watching a documentary about the deep sea and they showed this amazing alien in our backyard. While it’s an amazing display, I have a feeling he’s just all the rest of us really cool bad boys, he’s just a big softy at heart. Just look at the cool ones like PZ, Dawkins and Dennet. When you actually meet them, they’re soft-spoken, gentle and kind. But try and throw some woo-woo their way, and they flip inside out showing the spines and horned beak of their reason and brilliant minds.
Ok, so I took that a bit too far, but you get my drift. :-)
ANF
Yay, the vampire squid from hell!
Do I understand we’re actually looking at the inside of this creature? Except it’s momentarily on the outside? Now I’m thoroughly confused.
It’s Cephalocactus!
Very spiky – and good use of black leather with bloodied points (even if only in lighting effects).
That’s a head foot? More like a hinge will nails…..
I mean hinge with nails. Damn beer! mmmm sweet beer.
Post denied! obviously your definition of a short amount of time is longer than mine. :)
I could not work out what it was for a second. I like these slightly more ‘arty’ cephalopods.
There was one of these on the BBC “Earth” DVD set. It was that evening’s favorite portion of our viewing. Speaking of which, that is a terrific set of DVDs, should you have the chance to pick it up…
That looks like an apt biological expression of ‘pwned’.
Martin Christensen
“Do I understand we’re actually looking at the inside of this creature? Except it’s momentarily on the outside? Now I’m thoroughly confused.”
The video below will explain all (well nearly)- It is very cool
It’s in its “pineapple” phase, right?
Very cool.
Sailor, thank you for posting the link to that video.
Awesome creature. I wish I was reversible.
Warning: Do not look directly at the YouTube comments. Retinal damage may result.
Gothest. Animal. Ever. Oh, and may I add: Gothest. Taxonomical designation. Ever. Darkest dark!
Are those sharp/hard thorns? Or soft tentaclettes?
I got a bauhaus song to play for that bad boy.
Undead, undead, undead…
Yay!
Richard Young has a cool site of the vampire squid with some photos and details at http://tolweb.org/vampyroteuthis_infernalis . It says “The vampire squid is rather small, reaching a maximum of 13cm ML and is very gelatinous; its consistency is that of a jellyfish”. And to think it looks so ferocious in the photo!
Reminds me of a comment seen on GrammarPolice, which gets my Oscar nod for the Most Improbable Sentence:
“I once set out to crochet a set of my favorite marine invertebrates, but got only as far as Vampyroteuthis infernalis.”
It’s so cool I almost shit my pants.
I’m pretty sure the cirri are soft, not hard. When the “pineapple posture” was first observed, it was thought that it was a feeding posture, and when small animals bumped the cirri, it would rapidly flip back rightside-out and capture the prey. From that cool video Sailor just posted (thanks!) it sounds like it’s now thought to be more defensive, I guess.
If this animal has an intelligent designer, it’s H. R. Giger.
*Adds to her list of cephalopods to sculpt.*
On a related note, has anyone checked out Vampire Squid From Hell’s latest album “Devouring the Aubergine of God”? Wicked brutal.
you see the funny thing is the cirri are soft, in a resent discovery they found they are antenna like strucktures are used to detect pray, there spiny ball is there feeding posture, and when there fritened, as fas as invertabrit marine animal, they kick some ass.
I discovered how to crochet when I was young. It took me a long time to perfect it but these days I can crochet lots of items now. It’s my favorite pasttime!