#zombie worm

[bethanythebogwitch]

Wet Beast Wednesday: bone-eating worm

Happy (almost) Halloween from us at Wet Beast Wednesday. What better to celebrate the spooky holiday than with a spooky animal? These critters are so spooky they even scare skeletons. Sometimes called zombie worms or bone worms, bone-eating worms are scavengers that play an important role in deep seas. Try not to get too scared.

(Image: a cluster of bone-eating worms on a bone. Their plumes are visible, looking like red feathery structures emerging from a clump of brown sludge. End ID)

Bone-eating worms are members of the genus Osedax, with 26 species currently known. My favorite is Osedax mucofloris, which means "bone-eating snot flower". They are small tube worms, reaching between 2.5 and 7 cm (1 to 2.7 in) in length. The body is divided into three segments, the trunk, ovisac, and root. The trunk makes up the majority of the body and it topped by red plumes that act as gills. At the base of the trunk is the ovisac, where eggs are produced. Below that are the roots that bore through the bones the worms live on. This is done by secreting carbonic acid that is produced through anaerobic respiration. The roots also produce a mucus sheath whose purpose is not fully known. It may protect the body from the acid or may prevent the acid from dissolving the hole the worm lives in. As with other tubeworms, the worm generated a protective sheathe to live in. Normally, the plumes extend out of the sheathe to respirate, but when threatened, they will withdraw into the tube.

(Image: a bone worm removed from the bone. It is a long, translucent tube with reddish plumes on one and a lump of wavy roots on the other. End ID)

Bone-eating worms lack a mouth, anus, and digestive system. To obtain nutrients, they exist in a symbiotic relationship with bacteria. As the worms break down the bone, they release lipids and proteins that the bacteria consume to produce energy in the form of glycogen, which is transferred to the worm. The worm then uses the glycogen to power itself and feeds it to the bacteria to keep them alive. The worms also use collagen, which is the primary component of bone. Many of the symbiotic bacteria species need the collagen, which the worm provides by breaking down the bone. Curiously, many of the symbionts produce toxins that disrupt the membranes at the roots, leading to infection. The bacteria are also found surviving outside of symbiosis with the worms Because of this, it is debatable whether the relationship between the worm and its bacteria is mutualistic (both parties benefit) or commensal (one party benefits, the other neither benefits nor suffers).

(Image: a cleared view of bone worm plumes emerging from a bone. End ID)

Bone-eating worms are found worldwide in oceanic depths ranging from 10 to 4,200 meters (30 to 14,000 ft). They are most commonly found on the skeletons of whales, but will also colonize fish bones and even, in one experiment, cow bones. Whale bones seem to be preferred both because of their large size and the large quantity of lipids found within. Whale skeletons can often be seen covered with bone worms, giving them the appearance of red shag carpeting. As the worms break down bones, other animals can take better advantage of the nutrients within. The presence of bone worms at a whale fall has been shown to increase the biodiversity of the site. Bone-eating worms are ecosystem engineers, organisms that significantly alter their habitat. They have been doing this since before whales existed. Fossil sea turtle and plesiosaur bones have been found with signs of bone worm colonization.

(Image: a lone bone worm with its tube visible. Its plumes are whitish. End ID)

The bone-eating worms have one of the most dramatic cases of sexual dimorphism in the animal kingdom. All the worms you see when you look at a whale skeleton are females. The males are 20,000 times smaller and fully microscopic. They still resemble larvae, making them a case of neoteny, an adaptation where juvenile characteristics are retained into adulthood. Harems of males live inside the females' tubes and feed on the nutrients released by the bacteria. As the female generates eggs, the males fertilize them. The eggs hatch inside the female's tube and stay for a while to mature before being released into the water. The fact that the worms are so widely distributed indicated that the larvae can travel vast distances to find a new set of bones, but the means they use to do so is unclear. The extreme sexual dimorphism reduces competition between males and females and ensures the males will always have an available mate to pass on their genes. The species Osedax pirapus do not follow this form of dimorphism. Males are still smaller than females, but they actually look like worms and share the same lifestyle. This increases competition between males and females, but ensures that males can make far more sperm due to their greater size.

(Image: a collection of images of multiple species of bone-eating worms. Source. End ID)

[drakkonyan]

I am the best fakemon maker in history

The colors are more muted and the red is more terracota but I had to take a pic from my pc

His name is eelusiv, cuz he's a wormie, who creates an illusion. The joke is that people don't know if they are more closely related to omanyte or eelectross families but they are actually just a worm living in a wailmer skull (so like, none, it's just heated biology debate)

The evo is called diseevlin

[protectoursharks]

hello hello, just wanted to ask, what do you think abt the osedax, bone eating worms? they're pretty cool in my opinion!! :D

Osedax or Bone-Eating Worms

Also known as zombie worms, these polychaetes do, in fact, eat bone! They don't have a mouth or stomach, but have a symbiotic relationship with a species of bacteria that breaks down the bone into something the worms can absorb. This process happens relatively quickly- a whale whale skeleton can be eaten by these tiny guys in about a decade!

And all the worms you see in that photo? They're female! The male individuals are microscopic and live inside of the female. Research has found as many as 111 males living in a single female.

[bloodsoaked-rainbows]

Hey y'all!! Check this out!!

[marinelifecatalogue]

Zombie Worms

Name: Zombie Worm

Scientific Name: Osedax Roses

Family Name: Siboglinidae

Location: They are found worldwide.

Status: Not Endangered!!

Fun Facts:

• Zombie worms eat bones! they are most commonly found in whale carcasses.

• They have no mouth or stomach, so they consume their food by secreting acrid. This dissolves the bone and allows them to access the nutrients inside. We still don't know exactly how they get the nutrients from there.

• Female zombie worms usually have 50-100 tiny males living inside of them. The females continually find new males to reside in them.

Sources: 🌊 / 🌊 / 🌊

[bwabbitv3s]

10 Spooky Creatures Named after Monsters - And How They Got Their Names

In this video, we're looking at species named after monsters and hearing about what makes them so spooky.

1. Black Witch Moth (Ascalapha odorata)

2. Zombie-ant fungus (Ophiocordyceps)

3. Demon Stinger (Inimicus)

4. Vampire Squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis)

5. Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus)

6. Frankenstein Wasp (Aptenoperissus burmanicus)

7. Ghost Bat (Macroderma gigas)

8. Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus titanum)

9. Zombie Worm (Osedax)

10. Death’s-Head Hawkmoth (Acherontia)

[kingzombear]

HORSE ALERT ⁉️⁉️⁉️🤯🤯🤯

[hellsitegenetics]

would you perhaps do the Danny Phantom opening theme?

https://dannyphantom.fandom.com/wiki/Danny_Phantom_Opening

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Closest match: Osedax frankpressi genome assembly, chromosome: 6 Common name: Bone-eating Worms

(image source)

[belimonsterii]

Jane prentiss cosplay!!🪱🪱

[strawberri-draws]

shuichi posting

[v0idwraith]

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Members of the genus osedax don't want any candy for halloween this year-- just bones! More commonly known as bone-eating worms or zombie worms, these species are most commonly found on whale falls, where they burrow deep inside the carcass' bones to reach the nutrient-rich fats.

(Image: A colony of bone-eating worms by Yoshihiro Fujiwara)

[worms-in-my-head]

Me when I get my hands on a gel pen

Working on a Worm Zombie Apocalypse AU during school so some doodles from that

(Yes I’ve reached the stage of fanart brainrot where I’m making AUs now, I’ll prob make more of this AU when I have time)

[freechicken]

Sometimes you watch Bones, a TV show, and google every new thing the characters get excited about. These are called Lore-Drops. Because 9 out 10 times, it's an actual real-life exciting discovery!!

Source: The Smithsonian

[iravaid]

one: they would wear their own cheap dropshipped merch. two: this is nowhere near some casual slump they're flexing those stupid thighs like a sluttish lighthouse on the weastern whore's coast. and don't worry about the glowign green skull. that's Biker's designated driver

[horse-head-farms]

everyone has that one rarepair that makes complete sense and has so much backing yet gets no content. so um. xbleo time.