In the depths of the Pacific Ocean there are small transparent worms that shoot bright green spheres ( bioluminescent ) to distract their predators and avoid becoming "the dish of the day". This is revealed by a study carried out by scientists from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography and other US institutions published today in the journal Science .
In all, seven new species of transparent worms have been found measuring between 18 and 93 millimeters, five of which have the rare ability to launch these "bombs" at the enemy. The spheres are filled with a dense fluid that ignites as soon as it is separated from the animal's body, glows for a few seconds, and then slowly extinguishes. However, the time that the glow lasts is enough for the worms to flee and hide , since all the new species have turned out to be excellent swimmers thanks to the fact that they have several rows of thick hair that they use as if they were fins or oars .
The " green bombers ", as they are familiarly called, were located using tiny, remotely operated submarines at depths ranging from 1,000 to 4,000 meters.
