These Deep Sea Worms Look Like Luminous Blobs of Spaghetti All

KOMPAS.com – There is a sighting that is quite stealing the attention in a video that was released recently.

In the video you can see sea ​​creature oddly shaped with a glowing orange color, and has spaghetti-like tentacles.

Then what is that creature?

Quoted from Live ScienceSaturday (6/8/2022) the creature turned out to be the same worm the sea known as polychaete and belongs to the group named after his body, namely spaghetti worms.

Also read: Strange Translucent Fish Found in Alaska’s Deep Sea

Researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) recorded the spaghetti worm in 2012, using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) as it cruised the Gulf of California off the coast of Mexico.

They then released a video of the worm on the MBARI YouTube channel to celebrate World Polychaete Day.

This species of spaghetti worm has not yet been given an official name, but belongs to the genus Biremis.

Worm It has no eyes or gills and uses its colorful tentacles to catch tiny bits of organic detritus, also known as sea snow for which it eats.

Most spaghetti worms live in burrows or tunnels under the seabed and only move their noodle-like tentacles into the water to pick up some food.

However, Biremis worms are quite different. It has been found to spend time swimming through the water or crawling along the ocean floor to find locations where food is abundant.

Furthermore, naming a new species is not an easy thing.

Previously, another MBARI research group had also discovered a spaghetti worm species in 2003 in the Gulf of California using a different ROV.

But nearly two decades after the discovery, scientists are still working to name the species.

“Although naming the species itself appears to be a simple process, it actually takes a lot of time and dedication to collect specimens, examine key features, sequence DNA and establish a scientific name,” the MBARI representative said in a statement.

Also read: Shrimp and Worms Become the First Animals to Recover After the Mass Extinction 252 Million Years Ago

Researchers also reveal, it is not clear how deep this spaghetti worm can live in the sea, but most of its sightings occur 2000 meters below sea level.

The discovery of the spaghetti worm also shows how little scientists know about deep-sea species and the role these animals play in their ecosystems.

Continued exploration of the deep sea and the creatures that live there is very important, especially since many deep sea ecosystems are being degraded by destructive practices such as deep sea mining or trawling.

“Undoubtedly, many other worms like Biremis are waiting to be discovered in the mysterious depths of the ocean,” said an MBARI representative.

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