Vampire Diaries: The Interesting Sex Life of the Vampire Squid

A new discovery on "Vampire Squids" shows how much mankind is yet to learn about this planet. Vampire squids are the last surviving member of the Vampyromorphida, an order of Cephalopods and are found in few of the deepest trenches of the ocean, where survival may be impossible for other creatures.

Much like other ocean floor creatures, they are luminescent and are difficult to study as they don't survive when taken to the surface. But a recent study in Current Biology by Henk-Jan Hoving of Helmhotz Centre for Ocean Research, observed how these creatures were able to respawn upto hundreds of times leading to longer lifespan, as against True Squids which spawn only once.

The study was successful in observing the reproductive systems of Vampire Squids. It is found that owing to the low metabolic levels of the squids, their life's pace is much slower and can generate enough energy to produce enough eggs for reproduction, observed Hoving.

Despite this study Hover stated that largely a lot is unknown about these squids like their average lifespan or their age where sexual & reproductive activity starts.

However, this is the case with much of the species in the ocean floor. Despite researchers claims since the last decade of having identified 18,000 new species every year and over Two Million species in all, there still remain over Ten Million species undiscovered and unclassified. Researches indicate man has only been able to discover 20% of the species on this planet.

With Global Warming & Habitat Loss, majority of which is contributed by humans, changing the outlook of our Earth and thousands of unknown species are being indirectly affected by these changes without our knowledge, researches are fast tracking all efforts into identification & study of new species to help understand them and save them before extinction.