Overview
- Researchers sequenced Vampyroteuthis infernalis, finding an approximately 11–14 gigabase genome, the largest recorded for any cephalopod.
- Roughly 62% of the genome comprises repetitive elements, inflating its size without a corresponding increase in protein-coding genes.
- Chromosomal organization places the species at an intermediate position between octopuses and squids, retaining a squid-like structure despite its octopodiform classification.
- Comparative analyses point to a squid-like common ancestor, with octopus lineages later undergoing irreversible fusion-with-mixing of chromosomes that likely shaped octopus-specific adaptations.
- The study, published in iScience, used a specimen caught as bycatch in Suruga Bay, added a new reference by sequencing Argonauta hians, and was led by teams in Wakayama and Vienna.