Bobby's Amazing Facts

Bobby has been using his independent learning time to find out a whole host of facts about a very interesting creature... The Vampire Squid!

I have really enjoyed finding out about this animal. Here are five interesting facts about them:

1. Despite their scary name, they aren’t very big (or dangerous). In fact they only measure about 30 cm long, including their arms.
2. Vampire squid have the largest eyes in the animal kingdom compared with their size. Their eyes are about an inch long.
3. They are very unique animals and are the only surviving member of their order, with attributes of squid and octopuses. They also feel more like jellyfish.
4. When threatened, they are able to turn themselves inside out. They are entirely covered in light-producing organs that they use to disorient potential predators. They can turn these lights on and off, making them almost invisible in the dark waters of the deep. Instead of the ink that normal squid use, vampire squid shoot out mucus at predators. This mucus can glow in the dark for almost 10 minutes, further confusing their predators.
5. They live in very deep, cold water in oceans around the world between 600-900 metres below the surface where there is very little oxygen in the water.