Spaghetti Worm

Eupolymnia crassicornis

The Spaghetti Worm is an annelid that lives underwater in the tropical oceans near Bermuda and Puerto Rico. They live on the sea floor, burying themselves in the rocks and sand and growing long tentacles outward. These tentacles can measure up to 1m in length and give the species it's common name.

Spaghetti Worms feed by using their tentacles to grab floating detritus. Once snatched, the food moves down the tentacle towards the mouth at the base. They feed almost exclusively during nighttime hours.

When it comes time to reproduce the Spaghetti worms release sperm and eggs externally. Interestingly, the worms will release their gametes even when members of the opposite sex are nowhere around. The reason for this behavior is unknown.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Tropical Atlantic
Size : Length up to 1m

Classification : Phylum : Annelida -- Class : Polychaeta -- Order : Terebellida
Family : Terebellidae -- Genus : Eupolymnia -- Species : E. crassicornis

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Bearded Fireworm

Hermodice carunculata

I was really excited to find out that a Fireworm is actually a real thing... but that it lives underwater! Bearded Fireworms, which lives in the tropical Atlantic, get their names from the horrible burning sensation you feel if you get stung by one of their bristles! Though the bristles inject a painful neurotoxin, the Bearded Fireworms aren't aggressive toward humans. Don't touch them, and they won't sting you.

Bearded Fireworms are Annelids, segmented works that have their own entire Phylum! These specific worms have flat bodies that come in a wide range of camouflaging colors. On their sides are the aforementioned long bristles that will flare out when the worm feels threatened.

Coral is a particular favorite food of the Bearded Fireworm. They attach themselves to the tips of the coral and suck the little creatures right out of their skeletons.

Bearded Fireworms also have quite a nifty little mating process. When the time comes to procreate, the females will swim up to the surface of the ocean and let off a green phosphorescent glow. The males then flash little lights of their own, before both of them release their sex cells.

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IUCN Status :  Not Listed

Location : Atlantic Ocean

Size : Length around 4in (10cm)

Classification : Phylum : Annelida -- Class : Polychaeta -- Order : Aciculata
Family : Amphinomidae -- Genus : Hermodice -- Species: H. carunculata

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Squid Worm

Image by Laurence Madin
(Image Source)

Two miles deep, down in the waters between Indonesia and the Philippines, there lives and animal so unusual that on first glance, no one knew what it was. Was it a squid? Was it a worm? What is this thing? After a few years of study, we now know. It is, in fact, a Squid Worm, a member of the earthworm and tube worm filled Annelid phylum.

Squid Worms (Teuthidodrilus samae) are interesting because they are remarkably abundant, and are relatively large for a deep sea creature. They measure about four inches in length. The name comes from the ten tentacles that protrude outward from the head. The Squid Worm also has iridescent bristles that run down the length of their body, aiding in movement. They feed off of plankton and small floating debris.

Another notable fact about the Squid Worm is that it might be a transitional species; and animal that stradles the line between species that reside on the sea floor, and those that swim openly. Such transitional species are important in understanding evolutionary history.

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Giant Tube Worm

(Image Source)

Giant Tube Worms (Riftia pachyptila) live in one of the most harsh and unpredictable habitats on earth - the sea floor. These invertebrates live in the deep parts of the Pacific Ocean, at an average of 5,000 feet down. Amazingly, they cluster near thermal vents that spew an array of harsh chemicals that are lethal to most other organisms. Giant Tube Worms use those chemicals to their benefit with help from their partners in symbiosis. Tube Worms have no mouths or digestive systems, instead, they have a beneficial relationship with their internal bacteria. The bacteria converts the chemicals from the vents into nutrients that sustain the worm.

These worms truly are gigantic, and can grow to lengths of roughly eight feet. They are characterized by their bright red "plume" which is actually a hemoglobin-rich organ that siphons chemicals to the bacteria. The outer tube of the worm is comprised of chitin, the same material that makes up the exoskeletons of crustaceans. When threatened, the plume will retract in to the tube.

Giant Tube Worms reproduce through spawning; eggs are released into the water and are then fertilized. Young worms then eventually hatch and attach themselves within a worm community. No one is really sure how the young worms obtain their symbiotic bacteria, or how they find vents to attach themselves near. We do know, however, that Giant Tube Worms have remarkable growth rate, as they are able to reach a length of about five feet in roughly two years.

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