Meet the Bobbit Worm (Eunice aphroditois)- Some pictures and fun facts!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/12435180

NB This is a post I did on awwnverts and decided to add it here. I've included some extra photos of ol' Eunice, as I wanted to show how beautifully iridescent it is, as well as some really nice (glamorous) head shots!

Post image 'Bobbit-Worm' by Hendra Tan

Their name comes from the John and Lorena Bobbit Case

They live tropical and subtropic bodies of water in the Indo-Pacific. They've been discovered in Bali, New Guinea, the Philippines, Australia, Fiji, and Indonesia!

They can reproduce asexually via segmentation!

Photo by budak

They can live between 3-5 years and grow on average 3 feet long, although one was discovered at 10 feet long!

Photo by Ken Traub

The fossil record shows they've been around for 20 million years!

They like to build mucus lined burrows on the sea floor from where they ambush their prey!

Photo by eunice khoo

Despite having a pair of small eyes they use their antennae to detect prey as they are virtually blind!

Photo by Ken Traub

Peters' Monocle Bream tropical fish have been observed 'mobbing' Bobbit Worms by directing sharp jets of water at them in order to deter their attacks!

Bobbit Worms can decimate aquariums. They can arrive as small worms hidden in rocks and corals and can remain undetected for quite some time. Don Arndts heroic battle against a Bobbit Worm is the stuff of legends. His foe was a wily adversary despite the many attempts to poison and kill it, including glue and crushed glass hidden in baited shrimp! TLDR version here

Their jaws are wider than their bodies are retractable and open like scissors!

Photo by Anilao~Critters

Their bodies are covered in tiny bristles which grip, and help it to explode out of it's burrow while hunting!

Mr DeMille, I'm ready for my close up...

Photo by Rob_Lee Photography

Now give the little fella a kiss!

(photo by Pauline Walsh Jacobsen)

edit- most info from here and I forgot to credit the last image