Scientists in China may have identified a new species of vampire squid, only the second known species in the world. Vampire Squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) reach lengths of about 1 foot (0.3 meters). Despite their menacing appearance and name, they are deep-sea scavengers and are unlikely to harm anything other than small invertebrates, and in fact, they often gravitate towards feces and dead animals. The species is found in temperate and tropical ocean environments in many parts of the world.

The only officially recognized species was described in 1903, following a deep-sea expedition led by German marine biologist Karl Chun. Several more species were later described, but they were later found to belong to the same species.

This newly discovered putative species, V. hellThe squid, which has completely different physical characteristics, grows a second set of fins near its head as it matures, and its original fins disappear.

“The ten previously described synonymous species showed some morphological differences in different life stages,” lead study author Dajun Qiu, a marine biologist at the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, told Live Science.

Now, in a new study published May 2 in the preprint journal BioRxiv, researchers have described a second species of vampire squid, which they named after a species found in the South China Sea near China’s Hainan Island in 2016. V. pseudoinfernalisIt was found approximately 2,600 to 3,300 feet (800 to 1,000 meters) below the sea surface, in the area called the twilight zone, where very little surface light penetrates.

This newly described species exhibits some unique features that distinguish it from other species. V. infernalisFor example, the position of the two photophores (light-producing organs) between their fins and tail is different. IN V. infernalis They are located one-third of the way between the fins and the tip of the body. V. pseudoinfernalis are located roughly in the middle of these points. V. pseudoinfernalis It also has a pointed tail V. infernalis there are none there. The newly discovered species also has a longer winged beak on its lower jaw.

In photographs of the preserved specimen, it looks like a black gelatinous blob, but in a deep-sea environment it likely has the wavy, cape-like shape of its cousin. Genetic analysis also suggests: V. pseudoinfernalis Qiu noted that it is a separate species.

“We will analyze more specimens to ensure that the observed morphological differences are consistent in the future,” Qiu said. It seems likely that its diet was similar to its more famous relative, but he said research was ongoing.

Order Vampyromorphida only V. infernalis and offered V. pseudoinfernalisThere are many extinct relatives in the fossil record. Accordingly, 2024 document, A new species found in Luxembourg in 2022, preserved with a fish attached to its tentacles.