FunNature & AnimalDo you know the strangest marine worm?

Do you know the strangest marine worm?

What exactly is Bonellia viridis ?

It is a species of marine annelid belonging to the class of equiuroids, a small group of animals known as “spoon worms” , with more than 230 described species. The Bonellia viridis was discovered in 1821 by the Turin doctor, Luigi Rolando.

Where can we find it?

This worm is widely distributed in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is a benthic animal, that is, it inhabits the seabed between 10 and 100 meters deep (although it is usually found up to 40 meters in most cases), buried in the sand, hidden in recesses of rocks or dens. abandoned by other animals.

How to recognize it?

This species is characterized by having a marked sexual dimorphism , that is to say that the male and the female have very different appearances. Practically all the encounters we have with this worm will be with females, a kind of dark green ‘sac’ about 15 centimeters long, anchored to the ground by two hooks, from which an extendable ‘trunk’ (proboscis) emerges that it can be about ten times larger than the rest of the body; This will be the most exposed part of the animal. When we meet the female, it is very likely that the male is also present, but it will be difficult to see him, since he measures between 1 and 3 millimeters, his body is flat and depigmented, and usually lodges inside the reproductive organs of the female. , feeding on it like a parasite. As a curiosity, a female can have up to 85 males inside her.

How and what does it eat?

Bonellia viridis , like most marine worms, is detritivore, since it feeds on organic matter in suspension, and can also eat small invertebrate animals through its long proboscis. This secretes a mucous substance, capable of paralyzing small animals, which traps food and is transported to the mouth through the movement of cilia inside the tube.

How does it reproduce?

Although rare in the marine environment, Bonellia viridis practices internal reproduction. Once the male has fertilized the female, the larvae that hatch from the resulting eggs will not have a sex defined by their chromosomes, but this will depend on external factors. After a metamorphosis, if the larvae fall close to a female individual they will become males, whereas if, on the contrary, there are no females around, they will transform into females.

What is the peculiarity of your skin?

The skin of these animals produces a pigment known as bonellin. Apart from providing the green color, it is in charge of paralyzing its prey, since it is highly toxic. In addition, in the presence of light it has bactericidal properties, that is, they protect it from infections. For this reason, this chemical is being studied to develop new antibiotics and even for antitumor treatments.

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