Newly Discovered Worm Is Bizarre

Squidworm — Photograph by Laurence Madin, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

The Coolest Things You Need To Know!

The Squidworm was first discovered by a robot in 2007. Yes, you read that right! An deep see probe sent back pictures of this bizarre new creature during it’s underwater expedition
Although they have some squid-like similarities, this odd-looking animal is actually a member of the annelid family (fancy way of saying they are a worm)
Some Scientists believe the Squidworm is actually in a phase of evolutionary transition – so basically, in a few thousand years, this particular creature could look like a monkey 🙂

A Crowded Face

One look at the Squidworm and you know we have to talk about their physical appearance. It truly does look like this animal is still figuring out exactly what it wants to be when it grows up but then you could probably also say that about the Duck-Billed Platypus. Now I know it is easy to get overwhelmed by all the different appendages but the first thing we should look at is the size of this worm. Is this thing microscopic or could it possibly eat you during your next deep sea dive? Well the answer to this question is neither! This little worm is actually a pretty long worm with a length around 9.4 cm (3.7 in), which is pretty impressive for a deep sea annelid.

Newly Discovered Squidworm — Photo by L.P. Madin

Okay, now onto the fun things…those crazy appendages. Yes, the Squidworm has eight arms with bristles at the front of their body, which they use for breathing, to go along with the two long, loosely coiled appendages used to shovel food into their mouth. Don’t worry, we are not done yet. Their over-crowded face also has 6 pairs of feather-like sensory organs, which could be compared to the nose of other more “normal” animals. But wait, there’s more! You will notice numerous iridescent “paddles” along the entire length of their bodies, which…yep, you guessed it…help the funny looking Squidworm move through the water.

Where to Find the Squidworm

If you want to get a glimpse of this crazy, transitional animal then all you need to do is travel to the Celebes Sea and dive to the 100 – 200 metre level. It is here that you will have the best chance of catching this one of a kind creature. Alternatively, you could also just send you robot down there for you since they seem pretty good at finding bizarre worms.