my crk oc
their name is Marine Snow cookie and they're based on vampire squids and the only thing they eat: Marine Snow!
The eyes are based off of vampire squid eyes, which are the largest in proportion to their body compared to any other animal on earth. Their eyes are actually clear but appear icy blue when light is shined on them.
The the swirly thing on their head is the filament of a vampire squid. They have 2 and they are covered in little hairs and mucus used to catch Marine Snow as they drift along the currents. They don't actually swim very often to preserve energy. The filaments also act as sensory input alongside their impressive vision!
Vampire squids live in the mesopelagic zone. Better known as the Twilight zone, this area extends from 200 to 1,000 meters (660 to 3,300 feet) below the ocean surface. They specifically live in an oxygen minimum zone with less than 5% oxygen saturation. They use gills with large surface area to take in more oxygen, as well as having a respiratory pigment called hemocyanin in their blood to help absorb oxygen! Most other cephalopods can only live in areas with 50% oxygen saturation or more!
They live in both temperate and tropical areas, but are mostly well known in the Monterey bay in California.
Their scientific name is Vampyroteuthis infernalis or literally "vampire squid from hell". But despite their name, they are not in fact squids. Instead they are the only living member of the Vampyroteuthidae family.
Vampire squids also have bioluminescent tips on the ends of their tentacles. They can also produce a luminescent mucus as a defense strategy, though they cannot produce ink like a squid.
One thing they are sometimes known for is their "pineapple pose" where they wrap their 8 webbed tentacles (sometimes called a cloak) upwards and around their bodies. This exposes the sharp thorns called Cirri, which are iridescent.
They can also regenerate the ends of limbs, however they cannot change color unlike other cephalopods.
Although not depicted in the design, vampire squid have 2 fins on their head. As they are developing they have 4 fins on their head, but absorb 2 of them as they mature.
Alongside all of those intriguing facts, they are also living fossils! They have remained relatively unchanged since they initially evolved. This is likely due to their environmental isolation and unique adaptations that along them to live with little pressure to adapt new or different features. They are incredibly well suited to their habitat!
(much of this information comes from the Monterey bay aquarium/MRABI, but some of it comes from national geographic and natural world facts' YouTube videos about these fascinating creatures)
This gentle scavenger floats through the deep sea collecting drifting debris called marine snow with long feeding filaments.v