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.
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
P. corrugatus joins in on the feeding frenzy when the small seastar Odontaster validus attacks en masse the large seastar Acodontaster conspicuus
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
Life Science
Comments
This post is the last straw! I'm bookmarking Zooillogix!
Posted by: Sven DiMilo | September 5, 2008 12:04 PM
"Giant Death Worm" is a much better popular name than the boring "Giant Antarctic Marine Worm". How do we go about getting that changed?
Posted by: Michael | September 5, 2008 2:42 PM
I prefer 'Giant Deadly Antarctic Marine Death Worm of Death', just in case no one noticed the most important part.
Posted by: Myles | September 5, 2008 4:43 PM
I want to call it "Giant Death Worm: Destroyer of Worlds". Thanks, Zooillogix! Very cool post!
Posted by: scicurious | September 5, 2008 6:35 PM
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.
Posted by: Mrs Tilton | September 5, 2008 9:02 PM
The Lasagna of Doom
Posted by: Alan Kellogg | September 5, 2008 10:02 PM
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
Posted by: Olga | September 6, 2008 6:21 PM
Looks like DNC protesters.
Posted by: Crusader | September 6, 2008 8:43 PM
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.
Posted by: Sven DiMilo | September 7, 2008 12:00 PM
Wow these are really interesting Thanks!
Posted by: Rachel | September 7, 2008 11:03 PM
Weeeeirdo water worms...
Posted by: DDeden | September 8, 2008 11:56 PM
Vermicious Knids!
Posted by: lkw | September 9, 2008 10:03 AM
This species does not have a "harpoon-like barbed proboscis". It has a glandular proboscis, no stylette.
Posted by: Megan | September 9, 2008 1:11 PM
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.
Posted by: Andrew | September 9, 2008 1:21 PM
"...forming what scientists refer to as "a rubber band ball of terror.""
What scientists? Us?
Posted by: Liz | September 10, 2008 9:35 AM
Yes Liz. You specifically.
Posted by: Andrew | September 10, 2008 10:19 AM
latest picture is beatiful good
Posted by: şarkı | September 10, 2008 6:38 PM
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?
Posted by: Jenbug | September 14, 2008 1:02 AM
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)
Posted by: Amanda Pittar | October 16, 2008 1:13 AM