#polychate

Bone-eating worms (Osedax sp.)

Dead whales that sink to the seafloor provide a feast for deep-sea animals that can last for years.

It sounds like a classic horror story—eyeless, mouthless worms lurk in the dark, settling onto dead animals and sending out green "roots" to devour their bones.

But in the deep sea, truth is stranger than fiction and these bone worms, named Osedax (latin for bone-eating) are often found carpeting bones that have sunk tot he seafloor.

After planting several dead whales on the seafloor, MBARI biologists found that more than 15 different species of boneworms live in Monterey Bay alone.

Tomopterids are pelagic polycheates—segmented worms that live in the water column, never touching the seafloor.

They are relatively common in the deep mesopelagic, or twighlight zone. They are often only a cm or 2 long, but can also get to be quite large.

This one was photographed by Rob Sherlock in the R/V Western Flyer's wet lab and it spanned at least 10 inches, not including it's long tail!

Tomopterids have been observed spewing yellow bioluminescent mucous, presumably to deter predators. Yellow bioluminescence is rare in the deep and scientist don't yet know why this worm has adapted this ability.