Zooillogix

Zooillogix would like to take a moment to introduce you to Parborlasia corrugatus, a proboscis worm residing in the waters of Antarctica. We should note that we were inspired to learn more about these cute little fellows from this outstanding pic we saw on Ugly Overload.

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Photo credit Jeff Miller

P. corrugatus grows up to two meters in length, comes in a variety of delightful colors, and kills its prey by rapidly and repeatedly stabbing it with a harpoon-like barbed proboscis! This proboscis has adhesive secretions which secure it in place. When threatened, this fast moving giant death worm secretes an acidic mucus that predators avoid. Interestingly, I believe I learned about P. corrugatus inadvertently almost three months ago when I defeated him in Level 9 of Ninja Gaiden II for Xbox 360.

Both a hunter and scavenger, worm-monster eats almost anything, including sponges, jellyfish, diatoms, seastars, anemones, polychaete worms, mollusks, crustaceans, fish and divers. The worms frequently engage in feeding frenzies around carcasses, forming what scientists refer to as “a rubber band ball of terror.”

Lacking a respiratory system, P. corrugatus absorbs oxygen through its skin. When oxygen levels drop, it flattens and elongates to increase surface area for absorption and minimize the distance oxygen must travel within the body. It’s flexible body also allows it to swallow food almost as a large as itself.

more pics below the fold

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P. corrugatus joins in on the feeding frenzy when the small seastar Odontaster validus attacks en masse the large seastar Acodontaster conspicuus

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Fish egg dinner

Here it is feasting on Benny’s brain in one of his nightmares

Ref – -

Brueggeman, Peter, 1998. Underwater Field Guide to Ross Island & McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

Comments

#1 Sven DiMilo
September 5, 2008

This post is the last straw! I’m bookmarking Zooillogix!
#2 Michael
September 5, 2008

“Giant Death Worm” is a much better popular name than the boring “Giant Antarctic Marine Worm”. How do we go about getting that changed?
#3 Myles
September 5, 2008

I prefer ‘Giant Deadly Antarctic Marine Death Worm of Death’, just in case no one noticed the most important part.
#4 scicurious
September 5, 2008

I want to call it “Giant Death Worm: Destroyer of Worlds”. Thanks, Zooillogix! Very cool post!
#5 Mrs Tilton
September 5, 2008

Sven,

I’m bookmarking Zooillogix!

What, you’re only just doing this now?!

Oh well. Check out the archives. Do so on an empty stomach. Or, if you’re a bit more adventurous, on a date.
#6 Alan Kellogg
September 5, 2008

The Lasagna of Doom
#7 Olga
September 6, 2008

I think I’ve seen it several times in all these movies about deep ocean. Nobody talks about them though (and rarely writes). Very interesting, I have to read about the species more. Thanks
#8 Crusader
September 6, 2008

Looks like DNC protesters.
#9 Sven DiMilo
September 7, 2008

Oh, I’m familiar with what goes on here, just always taken an indirect route to get here. I’m very stingy with my bookmarks.
#10 Rachel
September 7, 2008

Wow these are really interesting Thanks!
#11 DDeden
September 8, 2008

Weeeeirdo water worms…
#12 lkw
September 9, 2008

Vermicious Knids!
#13 Megan
September 9, 2008

This species does not have a “harpoon-like barbed proboscis”. It has a glandular proboscis, no stylette.
#14 Andrew
September 9, 2008

megan – interesting, we got most of the info from here http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1270&context=sio/lib

you confident they are wrong? if so, let’s correct them.
#15 Liz
September 10, 2008

“…forming what scientists refer to as “a rubber band ball of terror.”"

What scientists? Us?
#16 Andrew
September 10, 2008

Yes Liz. You specifically.
#17 ?ark?
September 10, 2008

latest picture is beatiful good
#18 Jenbug
September 14, 2008

I dunno, if they can come up with ‘Vampire Squid from Hell’ for an individual creature maybe we can get this worm wad renamed ‘Satan’s Sock-Ball.’ Come on guys, let’s give it a go! Anybody know Latin?
#19 Amanda Pittar
October 16, 2008

Thank you for a fantastic site and completely revolting and compulsively facinating pics. My children love them and their Mother does too. How to make science interesting. Does anyone have pics of the fairly newly discovered shrimp – crustacean thingy which lives off New Zealand in very deep ( possibly hot?) waters. There was one in Auckland Museum. It is shudderworthy.Too scary for children ( and some adults)
#20 perde
December 7, 2008

thanks

btw wat does this worm do to your system???
#21 Myles
December 9, 2008

er… soccus-globus ditis = the slipper-ball of Pluto?

I guess “Vermisglobus Plutonius” works (Hellish Wormball).

As for the actual scientific name, ‘corrugatus’ means ‘wrinkled’, but I have no idea about ‘parborlasia’. I like V. Plutonius personally.
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February 17, 2009

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February 17, 2009

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March 15, 2012

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#25 perde
April 1, 2012

My children love them and their Mother does too. How to make science interesting. Does anyone have pics of the fairly newly discovered shrimp – crustacean thingy which lives off New Zealand in very deep ( possibly hot?) waters. There was one in Auckland Museum. It is shudderworthy.Too scary for children ( and some adults)
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June 25, 2012

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July 2, 2012

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