Vampyroteuthis infernalis, the vampire squid, inhabits the deep waters of all the world’s ocean basins. It is able to thrive in this harsh environment by feeding on mostly “marine snow”— a mixture of dead animal bodies, feces, and mucus. Vampire squid, which are about the size, shape, and color of a football, don’t have to expend much energy to avoid predators because they live at depths where there is so little oxygen that few other animals can survive.

Learn more about these ancient cephalopods and what they eat by watching this YouTube video.