A new analysis of fossilized specimens of Vampyrona rhodanica —An ancient species of cephalopod related to octopus, squid, and cuttlefish — discovers how the animal may have been well adapted to actively hunt prey in the open ocean. The document, published in Scientific reportsreveals that the species probably had suckers that could cling to prey, unlike its current descendant, the vampire squid, which feeds on drifting organic matter.
Vampyrona rhodanica He is believed to be one of the oldest relatives of today’s vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis), which lives in extreme deep ocean environments, far from the coast, often with little oxygen. However, less is known about the physical characteristics of V. rhodanica since the body is rarely fossilized because it is largely made up of soft tissue.
Alison Rowe and colleagues used a non-destructive 3D imaging technique to reanalyze well-preserved pieces. V. rhodanica fossils from La Voulte-sur-Rhône (Ardèche, France) more than 164 million years ago. The eight-armed specimens were small, measuring about 10 cm long, and had elongated oval-shaped bodies with two small fins.
Similar to modern vampire squid, the suckers V. rhodanica they were probably not jagged. However, unlike the vampire squid, the fossil specimens showed evidence of robust suction cups at the tips of two long, specialized dorsal arms.
Based on similar current species, the authors propose this V. rhodanica used these suction cups to create a watertight seal, producing a secure suction force. The authors suggest that these suction cups would also have helped in the handling and retention of prey.
The authors propose that the presence of muscle suction cups in each of the arms and sensory conical appendages to detect prey suggests that V. rhodanica he was an active predatory hunter. This contrasts with its more opportunistic descendant, the vampire squid, which has adapted to a deep, low-consumption ocean lifestyle.