Antarctic scale worm: The glitzy frilly horror show with giant protruding jaws that look like Alien’s xenomorph

Antarctic scale worm: The glitzy frilly horror show with giant protruding jaws that look like Alien’s xenomorph

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Call: Antarctic scale worm (Eulagisca gigantea)

Where it lives: Listed below 1,640 (500 meters)deep in Antarctica’s Southern Ocean

What it consumes: Unidentified. Most likely other animals and/or natural particles.

Why its incredible: With their sparkling golden coats, these worms practically look attractive– up until you see their terrible jaws, which look like the mouth of the xenomorph from “Alien.”

The worms are called after the scales (referred to as elytra) that cover their bodies. These scales look a bit like human teeth, contributing to the worms’ dazzling-yet-gruesome look.

Maturing to 8 inches (20 centimeters) long, Antarctic scale worms are a kind of ocean-dwelling polychaete, or bristle worm (polychaete is Latin for “many bristles”. Associated with earthworms and leeches, there are over 8,000 called polychaete types.

They have segmented bodies, with loads of little bristles standing out of each area.

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The scale worm lives deep in the Antarctic ocean and they mature to 8 inches long. (Image credit: Smithsonian NMNH)

Various polychaete types utilize their bristles for various functions, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI. In this case, Antarctic scale worms’ sparkling golden hairs might assist them crawl or swim through the water, or protect themselves from risks. It’s uncertain why their bristles are golden.

Related: Ghostly white huge worms seem replicating under the seafloor where tectonic plates satisfy

Their most amazing body part, nevertheless, is frequently concealed. Their purple “head” isn’t really a head at all however a retractable mouth they keep stashed up until they’re prepared to feast. The worms unfurl this proboscis to expose a set of jaws nearly 3 inches (7 cm) large total with big, sharp teeth, according to Australian Geographic

We do not understand precisely what they consume, however according to “The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of ‘Ugly’ Animals” (Wren & & Rook, 2020) their big teeth suggest they are most likely “quick and aggressive hunters.”

It was found in 1939really little is understood about this deep-sea types. Like other bristle worms, it most likely plays an essential function in keeping the ocean healthy. Bristle worms “are fabulous recyclers and builders, creating massive reef structures and tangles of tubes that house a myriad of other animals including crabs, snails, and (of course!) other worms,” MBARI agents composed.

Melissa Hobson is a self-employed author who concentrates on marine science, preservation and sustainability, and especially enjoys discussing the strange habits of marine animals. Melissa has actually worked for a number of marine preservation companies where she absorbed their understanding and enthusiasm for securing the ocean. A licensed Rescue Diver, she gets her scuba repair any place possible however is excessive of a wimp to dive in the UK nowadays so tends to adhere to tropical waters. Her writing has actually likewise appeared in National Geographic, the Guardian, the Sunday Times, New Scientist, VICE and more.

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