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Name : south-polar scale worm(Eulagisca gigantea )
Where it lives : Below 1,640 ( 500 meters ) deeply in Antarctica ’s Southern Ocean
The Antarctic scale worm has a retractable mouthpart containing sharp jaws it uses to tear prey into pieces.
What it exhaust : obscure . credibly other beast and/or constitutive debris .
Why it ’s awing : With their shimmering gold coats , these worms almost look glamourous — until you see their horrifying jaws , which resemble the mouth of the xenomorph from " Alien . "
The worms are name after the scale of measurement ( known as elytra ) that cross their bodies . These scales look a minute like human teeth , bestow to the worms ' dazzling - yet - grisly show .
The scale worm lives deep in the Antarctic ocean and they grow up to 8 inches long.
Growing up to8 inches(20 centimeter ) long , south-polar musical scale worms are a type of ocean - dwelling polychaete , or bristle worm ( polychaete is Latin for " many bristle " ) . touch on toearthwormsand leeches , there are over8,000named polychaete species .
They have segmented bodies , with load of petty bristles cohere out of each surgical incision .
Different polychaete species use their bristle for different purposes , accord to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute ( MBARI ) . In this case , Antarctic musical scale worms ' shimmer golden hairs could aid them crawl or swim through the water , or champion themselves from threat . It ’s unclear why their bristles are golden .
link : Ghostly bloodless giant worm seem to be reproducing under the seafloor where tectonic plate play
Their most singular soundbox part , however , is often hidden . Their purple " read/write head " is n’t in reality a headland at all but a retractable mouth they keep tuck away until they ’re quick to junket . The worms unfurl this proboscis to reveal a solidification of jaw almost 3 inch ( 7 curium ) wide gross with large , sharp teeth , according toAustralian Geographic .
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We do n’t cognize exactly what they eat , but according to " The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of ' Ugly ' brute " ( Wren & Rook , 2020 ) their large tooth mean they are probable " quick and fast-growing hunting watch . "
Although it was discovered in1939 , very short is known about this deep - sea species . Like other bristle worms , it probably plays an important office in keeping the ocean healthy . Bristle worms " are fabulous recyclers and builder , create massive Rand structures and maze of tubes that put up a myriad of other beast including crabs , snails , and ( of course ! ) other worms,“MBARIrepresentatives indite .
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