Sunday, February 13, 2011

Flamboyant new squid worm

It's a squid. No, it's a worm. It's a squid worm.

Scientists diving deep off the Philippines in 2007 found the Star Wars-looking squid worm. According to National Geographic:

"Relatively long, at nearly four inches (nine centimeters), the new annelid worm earned its moniker with a head that looks as if it's covered

in tentacles.

Its front end bristles with eight arms used for breathing—each as long as the worm's entire body—and two long, loosely coiled appendages employed for feeding.

As if that weren't enough hardware, six pairs of feathery sensory organs—the squid worm's collective "nose"—protrude from the new species' head. And along the length of its body, the worm has iridescent "paddles" for propulsion."

Just another day in paradise--the deep sea.

No comments: