New Species of Vampire Squid Found Fossilized 'With Prey in Its Arms'

Paleontologists have revealed a previously unknown vampire squid species that lived about 183 million years ago. The newly identified species, named Simoniteuthis michaelyi, was described as a remarkable specimen that became fossilized "with prey in its arms," according to a study published in the Swiss Journal of Palaeontology.
A "really exciting aspect [of the discovery] is that the animal is fossilized with prey in its arms, thus representing a tremendously rare case of fossilized predator-prey interactions frozen in time," Ben Thuy, a paleontologist with the Luxembourg National Museum of Natural History (LNMNH) and an author of the latest study, told Newsweek. Vampire squid (known scientifically as vampyromorphs) are an order of cephalopods—the group that also contains octopuses, cuttlefish and related creatures. Vampyromorphs superficially resemble squid, but they are more closely related to octopuses, featuring eight arms instead of 10. Numerous extinct vampyromorphs have been discovered, suggesting that these creatures were a major component of prehistoric ocean communities. But the only living member of the group is the deep-sea species Vampyroteuthis infernalis—whose name means "vampire squid from hell".

The prehistoric vampire squid specimen described in the latest study was found during a scientific excavation conducted by the LNMNH in May 2022 in Bascharage, southeast Luxembourg. The specimen is estimated to date to the Early Jurassic period, which lasted from around 201-174 million years ago. "The species is based on a single exceptional find of a complete squid-like cephalopod preserving soft parts in amazing detail," Thuy said. "The most unusual aspect of the new fossil is its exquisite preservation, including remains of structures that normally fail to petrify like muscle tissue, ink or eyeballs." Simoniteuthis probably looked much like a present-day squid, but with eight arms. The creature measured approximately 15 inches in length. "The animal should have looked much like a modern vampire squid, of which it is a distant relative. Since we have no fossil trace of pigmentation preserved, we can only speculate about the color of the animal when alive," Thuy said. Scientists know from direct fossil evidence that Simoniteuthis was an active predator. In fact, the specimen is preserved with two small fish in its mouth region, suggesting that it died while feasting on its last meal.

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But living in an ocean full of large fish and marine reptiles, it can be assumed that Simoniteuthis, in turn, was prey to other predators, according to Thuy. Simoniteuthis lived in a shallow sea along the coast of an island located in what is now the heart of the European mainland. The creature's remarkable state of preservation can be explained by the environmental conditions present in this body of water. "While the water column was teeming with marine life, the bottom waters were oxygen-poor due to the climate and ocean circulation conditions prevailing at that time," Thuy said. "Thanks to the oxygen-depleted waters near the seafloor, the Simoniteuthis carcass was preserved intact instead of being torn apart by scavengers." "Our find contributes to a better knowledge of Jurassic marine life, especially in terms of providing direct fossil evidence for ancient predator-prey interactions." Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about paleontology? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.