In Luxembourg, the remains of a vampire squid were discovered during excavations: detail

The photo is illustrative

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German paleontologists have found fossils of a vampire squid (vampiromorph), which is approximately 183 million years old. This is one of the extinct species of molluscs.

His remains during excavations in Basharazh in the southeast of Luxembourg three paleontologists discovered. Fossils were in “in excellent condition“which made it possible to conduct a detailed study, write Phys.org.

In his article, published in the Swiss Journal of Paleontology, researchers Robert Weiss, Ben Thuy and Dirk Fuchs noted that the find is rare because of its preserved condition.

Thanks to this, they were able to study in detail the structures of the creature’s soft tissues, in particular the eyes and muscles. Even fossilized ink has been preserved. This previously unknown species of vampire squid has been named Simoniteuthis michaelyi.

Scientists managed to establish that this creature died while eating two small fish. They also determined that the length of the vampire squid was 38 centimeters.

According to research, this vampyromorph lived in the shallows of the island that once existed on the site of Basharaj. The water at the bottom of the sea, where he once found himself, was poorly saturated with oxygen, so the vampiromorph suffocated.

The specificity of this place prevented other creatures from feeding on its remains, so the fossils remained intact.

Vampire squids (vampiromorphs) are a type of cephalopod mollusks. Previously, researchers discovered several species of vampiromorphs, some of which are already extinct. To do this, the team of researchers additionally studied the fossilized remains of a vampyromorph found at the excavation site in Basharazh in 2022. The remains are dated to the early Jurassic period.

The peculiarity of vampiromorphs is that they have bioluminescent organs and long retractable tentacles. This distinguishes them from other squids and octopuses.

We will remind, international scientists found clue to global warming in octopus DNA.

Anna Stopenko, “UP. Life”