to begin with this month we reported on the discovery of‘phlegmy ’ worms that feed on the bones of dead ocean creatures . The biggest interrogation ? precisely how they were able to fulfil this exploit , afford that they have no mouth or stomachs . But now there ’s a new clue to this nautical mystery : They ’re drilling through bone , using acid - secrete enzymes .
https://gizmodo.com/this-phlegmy-worm-feeds-on-the-bones-of-the-dead-whale-5916000
The discovery was made by Sigrid Katz from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography , University of California , San Diego , who will award her team ’s research at theSociety for Experimental Biology‘s annual league . Katz ’s findings will be of pastime to other marine biologists , who have been baffled by the worm ’ technique for eating bone .
Investigations into the specie had let on some unusual characteristics – including the leftover observation that there were n’t any Male . Writing for BBC , Ella Daviesexplainsthat further probe showed that the male remain in their microscopical larval stage - – populate inside the female worms .
And just as foreign is the fact that these worms have no mouth , bowel , or anus , yet they ’re somehow capable to excerpt nutrients from bone . It ’s because of this seemingly inexplicable ability to squander os without the need for a mouth or stomach that researchers have dubbed it the “ automaton worm . ”
Davies explains the researchers ’ findings :
By analysing the worms ’ tissues , the team find that window pane - secrete enzyme were abundant in the root - corresponding part that attach to bones . “ The acid is secreted through the skin of the roots realm , ” said Dr Katz .
The acid released from the green - coloured “ root ” demineralises the osseous tissue
“ The skin cell in this realm are very long cells and the upper end has stack of [ microscopical protrusions , which ] expand the open multiple times , so lots of acid can be secreted , ” she explained .
There ’s still much that want to be learn about these worms , most of whom can be found in the North Atlantic sea off the sea-coast of Sweden , and the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Japan and California .
Top epitome viaBBC / Greg Rouse . Inset image via courtesy Robert C. Vrijenhoek , Shannon B. Johnson & Greg W. Rouse .
BiologyMarine biologyScience
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