Facts about Dumbo Squid

1. 06

   Specimens of dumbo squid collected from the Mariana Trench in 2014 revealed they hunt by using their webbed arms to scoop amphipods and other invertebrates from the seafloor.

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2. 05

   Dumbo squid species possess a specialized pouch between their arms where they store food items until their slow metabolism can process them over extended periods.

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3. 04

   At approximately 6 to 9 inches long, dumbo squid species rank among the ocean's smallest cephalopods, with some specimens weighing less than one pound despite inhabiting the deepest trenches.

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4. 03

   Gelatinous bodies in dumbo squid contain minimal muscle tissue, composed instead of 90 percent water, allowing them to conserve energy in the food-scarce deep ocean environment.

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5. 02

   The dumbo squid's eyes lack a lens, making them sensitive only to the bioluminescent flashes of prey and predators in absolute darkness below 6,000 meters.

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6. 01

   Living at depths exceeding 13,000 feet, dumbo squid possess large ear-like fins that propel them through the hadal zone's crushing pressures.

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