Bone-eating snot flower worm [Osedax mucofloris]
Description
Osedax mucofloris is a species of marine worm first discovered consuming the bones of a minke whale in the North Sea. The creatures are small, typically less than an inch long, and have a reddish hue. The worm's body consists of a trunk with a crown of palps on top and a root system below that penetrates the bone. Despite its name, the worm does not actually eat the bone, instead, it uses acid to dissolve the bone and then uses symbiotic bacteria in its body to convert the proteins and fats into nutrients.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Segmented Worms
Annelida
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Polychaetes
Polychaeta
|
| Order |
Canalipalpata
Canalipalpata
|
| Family |
Siboglinids
Siboglinidae
|
| Genus |
Osedax
Osedax
|