The feeding habits of the illusive deep-sea vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) has been a mystery for over a hundred years when it was first discovered by German marine biologist Carl Chun in 1903. Though originally classified as an octopus, the vampire squid was assigned to a new order of cephalopods called Vampyromorphida, of which it is the only known member still in existence. This is because the vampire squid shares characteristics of both octopus and squid, but also has very unique traits, such as retractile sensory filaments. It was presumed by many scientists to be an active hunter much like its relatives, but new evidence compiled by scientist from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute reveals that the vampire squid is a detritivore that passively feeds on bits of dead organic sea matter— otherwise known as “marine snow”—as it drifts elegantly through the water.    Picture courtesy of www.global.fncstatic.com Aside from examining stomach contents, researchers reviewed 25 years of footage taken by cameras mounted on underwater remotely operated vehicles. They documented 23 hours of footage on over 200 individual vampire squid at depths of about a half mile. Subsequent research showed conclusive evidence of feeding when scientists presented a vampire squid with marine snow in the lab and recorded it using one of its long retractile filaments to sense and collect the food particles. The vampire squid would then drag the filament between its tentacles and deposit the food near its mouth. This revelation has significant implications for how we understand deep sea ecology and the evolution of life in inhospitable environments. Read more here!