Vampire squids require specialized tanks cooled to near-freezing temperatures between 2°C and 4°C to survive.

The vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) lives in the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones, typically at depths of 600 to 900 meters. In this environment, the water temperature remains constant at roughly 2°C to 4°C. These animals have evolved extremely low metabolic rates to survive in the Oxygen Minimum Zone, where oxygen saturation can be as low as 3 percent.When kept in warmer water, their metabolic rate increases exponentially according to the Q10 temperature coefficient. This causes them to consume oxygen faster than their specialized hemocyanin-based blood can transport it, leading to respiratory failure. Maintaining these conditions in captivity was a major hurdle for marine biologists for decades.The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) revolutionized deep-sea husbandry by developing pressurized and chilled transport containers. Their specialized displays use industrial-grade titanium heat exchangers to prevent corrosion from saltwater while maintaining precise thermal stability. Because red light has the longest wavelength and is absorbed quickly by water, most deep-sea organisms lack the visual pigments to detect it. Using red LEDs allows researchers to observe the squids without triggering a stress response or disrupting their natural behaviors.