Britannica AI Icon

Quick Summary

The Vampyromorpha are a unique order of cephalopods, distinguished by their purplish-black, gelatinous bodies. These deep-sea dwellers are found worldwide and are characterized by having eight arms and two small, retractile filaments, which are not homologous to tentacles. A distinctive feature is the "deep web" connecting their arms. Currently, only one species belongs to this order.1

Cephalopods, as a class, are mollusks with a highly developed central nervous system forming a true brain. They possess a beak-like mouth and highly developed eyes. The class is divided into subclasses, including Nautiloidea (like the Nautilus), the extinct Ammonoidea (ammonites), and Coleoidea, which encompasses octopuses, squids, cuttlefishes, and belemnites.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.