This Bright Blue ‘Ice Worm’ Is Beautifully Hideous
photo: Gary McDonald
photo: Marlin Harms
photo: Gary McDonald
photo: Jerry Kirkhart
Habitat: British Columbia, Canada to Mexico; Peru
Status: No Conseravation Concerns
Shuffling amongst mussel beds and algal fronds is the bright turquoise Annelid Worm (Nereis grubei). While it may look like a colorful gummy worm, that’s definitely not the case. The family Nereididae (formerly spelled Nereidae) are a family of polychaete worms and this one in particular is exceptionally spectacular-looking. These creatures grow to lengths of up to 100mm and appears to be made entirely out of glass or ice!
These worms are carnivores and use their powerful jaws to go after small live organisms or fragments of dead organisms… so don’t worry, you’re not on the menu this holiday season.
I really hope you can go back and change the typing error you must have made in giving the size of this worm. An animal like this 100m long would terrify the staunchest of us.
Ed, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news but that is how long (I believe) these grow to be! Here, check it out: http://seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/Inverts/Annelida/Nereis_grubei/Nereis_grubei.html
The two photos on that page say up to 5cm total length, which is 50mm (about 2 inches). The 100m is probably a typo for 100mm. 100mm is four inches – 100m is a football field.
its very cool
ill never seen this before
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Wild animals
http://wildandendangeredanimals.blogspot.com/
I’m torn; I want to stare at the beautiful coloring of this worm and run away screaming at the same time!