Technicolor 'living magic carpet' deep-sea worm discovered near methane seep off Costa Rica

News
By Emily Cooke published about 3 hours ago
The rosy-colored, segmented worms appeared to swim through water like a "living magic carpet," scientists say.

Scientists have discovered a new species of rosy-colored deep-sea worm 30 miles (50 kilometers) off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

The worm, named Pectinereis strickrotti, is a type of ragworm, or Nereididae. It was first spotted by researchers in 2009, as they explored a methane seep found at a depth of 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) while onboard a deep-sea submersible called Alvin.

In 2019, the team returned to the same area and spotted six more of the critters and were able to take images, videos and samples needed to formally classify P. strickrotti as a new species. The team described their findings in a paper published March 6 in the journal PLOS One.

P. strickrotti has a segmented, elongated body which is around 4 inches (10 centimeters) long. Like other ragworms, it looks like a cross between a centipede and an earthworm. It also lives in marine environments, as many ragworms do, although P. strickrotti lives in deep sea rather than shallower waters.



An image of a living male Pectinereis strickrotti worm captured by scientists. The worm's feathery appendages can be seen in yellow. (Image credit: Ekin Tilic)

On each side of its body, it has a row of feather-like outgrowths called parapodia, tipped with gills that allow it to absorb oxygen from water. The worms also have a hidden collection of "pincer-shaped" jaws that can be thrust out when they need to catch prey to eat, although scientists don't yet know what their diet consists of, according to a statement.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/animals/technicolor-living-magic-carpet-deep-sea-worm-discovered-near-methane-seep-off-costa-rica

(The Youtube images are much clearer on "Full Screen." )