[Article]: Vampyroteuthis infernalis (by Phil Eyden)

[tonmo]

Another great addition to the TONMO.com article base was contributed this weekend by Phil:

[URL2="http://www.tonmo.com/science/public/vampyroteuthis.php"]Vampyroteuthis infernalis[/URL2]

Thank you, Phil!!

 

[Feelers]

Great article Phil, had some nice photos I hadnt seen before too.

 

[neuropteris]

Great stuff Phil - another fascinating article

 

[monty]

Absolutely wonderful article, Phil-- I had no idea that so much was known about these animals at this point, particularly with respect to reproduction.

One minor passage I found a bit confusing, though, was this:

It maintains buoyancy via the use of statoliths (balancing organs akin to a human's inner ear) and tissues rich in ammonium ions that closely match the density of surrounding seawaters.

Do the statoliths have something to do with buoyancy? I thought they were about orientation and acceleration, but don't have anything to do with buoyancy control...

 

[Architeuthoceras]

Very informative article Phil, another masterpiece

 

[chrono_war01]

Great article Phil, easy to understand but packed with information.

 

[GPO87]

YES FINALLY SOME GREAT VAMPY FACTS!!!! I've been waiting all my life for this...

 

[Phil]

Thanks very much chaps, I'm glad you all enjoyed it. It was cobbled together from numerous internet sites and research papers freely available online, most of which I quoted in the references. The Tree of Life pages were particularly valuable

I'd also like to thank Steve for taking the time for checking the article through and correcting me where I was going wrong. Cheers Steve!

I'm not too sure about your query there Monty, that sentence was one of Steves corrections. I'll try and find out for you.

 

[Snafflehound]

Awesome stuff

 

[joel_ang]

Thanks alot for this article Phil ! It certainly broadens my understanding of these fascinating creatures.

 

[erich orser]

Terrific article, Phil! I'm a big fan of these living fossils and was very happy to see this. Informative with beautiful pics! The 1903 illustration is public domain, eh? Methinks it shall be working it's way onto a flier sometime very soon... always loved that picture...

 

[Phil]

Yep, I believe it is in the public domain. I took it from the Wikipedia which stated as such as it is over 100 years old.

Thanks Joel, Erich and Snafflehound, much appreciated.

 

[CapnNemo]

Superb work Phil. Hugely informative. Thank you.

 

[bigGdelta]

Great article. liked vampys ever since I first saw an illustration of 1 thirty years ago in a nature book I got for christmas. You rock Phil.

 

[Melissa]

Fabulous work, Phil! I'm fascinated by the bioluminescent cloud.

Melissa

 

[spartacus]

100% fascinating ! top job Phil
10/10 with bar.

Keef

 

[Phil]

I thank you once again, Capn, Mr Delta, Melissa and Lord Spart.

I believe it is now time to reveal the inevitable rejected picture (every article has at least one unloved and tearful). I was so short of uncopyrighted pictures I could use at one point I even resorted to photographing small Japanese model vampire squid available in packets of chocolate in vending machines.

One gets a lot of chocolate with an Architeuthis, I can tell you.

 

[Clem]

Hello Phil,

Your article is outstanding. The vampyromorphs always left me a wee bit confused, but you've cleared all of that up. Quite brilliant, Sir.

Cheers,
Clem

 

[Euprymna]

Hi Phil,

like the others, I have enjoyed it very much...
Truly amazing and unique group of cephs that would require more attention...

eups

 

[Phil]

Thanks Clem and Eups. Steve deserves a great deal of credit for the proof read.

There are plenty of fossil vamps I'd like to have included details on, but finding information on them on the net is almost as hard as photographing a live Architeuthis. For example, there is an enigmatic well preserved mid-Jurassic beast known from Voulte-on-Rhone called Vampyronassa that I would have loved to include. Unfortunately, not all researchers reply to enquiring e-mails...

Maybe when the Treatise of Invertebrate Palaeontology Part M. Mollusca 5 (Coleoidea) is eventually published we'll get some interesting facts and figures. Until then it's just bits and pieces I'm afraid.