Vampire squids prefer deep, dark, cold habitats—typically between around 2,000 and 3,000 feet down—where the oxygen concentration is quite low, according to Robison.

No matter what the scary name suggests, vampire squids are not predators. Rather than hunting anything else that might reach these levels, they eat leftovers from the higher levels.

The vampire squid specimen studied by Dajun Qiu and colleagues. This specimen was collected from a depth of around 3,000 feet in the South China Sea. Dajun Qiu et al.

The vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) isn't actually a squid. And though its scientific name means "vampire squid from hell," it isn't actually a vampire either. Although, in the deep ocean ...

A 183-million-year-old fossil found in Luxembourg turned out to be a new species of deep-sea vampire squid, researchers said in a new study. Photo by Fuchs, D., Weis, R. & Thuy, B. from the Swiss ...

A 183-million-year-old fossil found in Luxembourg turned out to be a new species of deep-sea vampire squid, researchers said in a new study. Photo by Fuchs, D., Weis, R. & Thuy, B. from the Swiss ...

A 183-million-year-old fossil found in Luxembourg turned out to be a new species of deep-sea vampire squid, researchers said in a new study. Photo by Fuchs, D., Weis, R. & Thuy, B. from the Swiss ...