Cumia intertexta – The Mediterranean vampire snail that drinks fish blood
Hidden among rocks in the shallow coastal waters of the southern Mediterranean, the 2 cm Mediterranean Vampire Snail sleeps during the day. After sunset it begins to hunt. The vampire snail smells the closest resting fish, gets as close as possible and pierce its skin with a tiny but sharp radula at the tip of an extremely long proboscis. Then it feeds on the blood of the fish, secreting a cocktail of blood thinner and anaesthetics to keep the fish calm. When bloated, the vampire snail hides again, leaving a numb but otherwise healthy fish. Cumia intertexta is the only Mediterranean member of a small group of vampire gastropods that live all over the world. Sequencing its genome would provide the first genetic blueprint of blood feeding in molluscs, revealing how this unusual lifestyle evolved and how similar strategies arise across very different animal groups. The Mediterranean’s tiny vampire awaits your vote – choose Cumia intertexta!