The study, led by an international team of researchers from University of Vienna<\/strong>, Shimane University<\/strong>, and Japan\u2019s National Institute<\/strong>, positions the vampire squid as a unique genomic outlier: a slow-moving deep-sea scavenger that quietly preserved the evolutionary past in its DNA for more than 180 million years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n An Oversized Genome Hiding in Plain Sight<\/p>\n The vampire squid\u2019s genome\u2014assembled using PacBio HiFi sequencing<\/strong>\u2014revealed an unprecedented 11.2 gigabases<\/strong> of DNA, more than four times the size of the human genome<\/a>. Roughly 62 percent<\/strong> of this sequence consists of repetitive elements<\/strong>, a feature that doesn\u2019t produce proteins but may regulate how genes switch on and off.<\/p>\n This makes the genome both large and structurally informative<\/strong>. Researchers discovered that the vampire squid retained a decapodiform-like chromosomal organization<\/strong>, resembling the arrangement seen in squids and cuttlefish. Despite belonging to the octopod lineage<\/strong>, this genomic structure points to a shared evolutionary heritage<\/strong> that has remained largely untouched.<\/p>\n \u201cIts genome reveals deep evolutionary secrets on how two strikingly different lineages could emerge from a shared ancestor,\u201d said Oleg Simakov, a genomicist at the University of Vienna and co-lead author of the study published in iScience<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n In contrast, the octopus genome\u2014roughly 2.7 billion base pairs\u2014shows clear signs of large-scale chromosomal fusion and rearrangement<\/strong>, evolutionary mechanisms that may have helped unlock more complex neural traits<\/strong> and adaptive behavior.<\/p>\n For a digestible overview of these results, ZME Science<\/a> provides an excellent breakdown of the genomic sequencing and its significance to evolutionary biology.<\/p>\n A Drifting Relic Between Squids and Octopuses<\/p>\n Despite its ominous name, Vampyroteuthis infernalis is a non-predatory deep-sea detritivore<\/strong>. It survives by feeding on marine snow<\/strong>\u2014a slow, continuous drift of organic debris in the deep ocean\u2014and lives in oxygen-poor zones between 500 to 3,000 meters<\/strong> beneath the surface.<\/p>\n Its anatomy reflects this extreme niche. The vampire squid\u2019s eyes<\/strong>, which can span up to 2.5 centimeters, are some of the largest in proportion to body size<\/strong> in the animal kingdom, allowing it to detect faint bioluminescent flashes in total darkness. Discover Wildlife<\/a> offers a striking look at the vampire squid\u2019s unique ocular adaptations and eerie footage of its deep-sea behavior.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/the-vampire-squid-is-remarkable-for-many-reasons.jpeg\"\/)
The vampire squid is remarkable for many reasons. Discover Wildlife\/Getty<\/strong><\/p>\n\n