Skip to main content

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.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a...
59 comments
Read more

Banggai Cardinalfish

Pterapogon kauderni The Banggai Cardinalfish is a small tropical fish that is becoming very rare in the wild, even though it has been successfully bred in captivity. You will only find these small, 3in long fish around the Banggai Islands of Indonesia. They are the only members of their genus, and you can tell them apart from other Cardinalfish by their three-striped bodies, tasseled first dorsal fin, long second dorsal, and their deep-forked tail fins. Banggai Cardinalfish are diurnal and live in small groups of about a dozen members. They are opportunistic feeders who dine on whatever smaller plants and animals they can find. Courtship and mating is pretty interesting for these guys-- females are the ones who initiate. They isolate a male and the pair will perform various courtship rituals before spawning. The Cardinalfish are mouthbrooders, which means that the males take the fertilized eggs (up to 90 of them) into their mouths and incubate them for up to 30 days. During t...
37 comments
Read more

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!
18 comments
Read more