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Awnworm
● Anchored Life › Worms

Awnworm

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Category
Anchored Life
Subcategory
Worms
Entries in Worms
2
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181
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PDA entry

Awnworm
  • Awnworm (Ventworm awn). Dwells in hot, mineral-rich water, where its plumes collect hydrogen sulfide and other minerals from the environment. Can survive near-boiling temperatures.
  • 1. Segmented plumes
  • Each upper body segment grows five blood-rich plumes which collect minerals and pump them to the worm's body. Bacteria feed on these minerals, producing energy for the worm. Each segment contains its own miniature heart.
  • 2. Sticky shelter
  • The worm grows from its holdfast, a chitinous shelter at its base. The entire awnworm can withdraw into this tiny space if threatened by temperature changes or attack.
  • 3. Curious immortality
  • The awnworm has no reproductive organs or cells. The worm appears to bud off its uppermost segments, like a stack of jellyfish. These segments find a new holdfast and grow a new awnworm. This strategy should produce genetically identical clones. It does not. Awnworms are genetically distinct. The source of this genetic difference is unknown.
  • 4. A ventworm blight?
  • Many of the scanned specimen's pores are choked by thick, waxy fatty acids. Origin unknown.
  • Assessment: monitor awnworms for clues to reproductive cycle and environmental threats.

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