Annelid · marine worm

Pompeii worm

Alvinella pompejana

PacificAtlanticIndianSouthernArctic A single ocean

Depth

1,500 to 3,500 m, on hydrothermal chimneys

Size

Up to about 15 cm

Diet

Bacteria

Zone

The sea floor · 200 – 3,500 m

Key facts

• It lives in a paper-thin tube attached to the scorching chimneys. One measurement recorded 80 °C at the bottom of the tube and 22 °C at its head.
• Its back is covered with a fleece of bacteria that helps it withstand the heat.
• It is one of the most heat-tolerant animals known.

Verified sources

1. MBARI, Pompeii worm
2. ScienceDaily (1998), Pompeii worm temperatures

In the game: To observe

In the same zone

Yeti crabKiwa hirsuta Japanese spider crabMacrocheira kaempferi Giant Pacific octopusEnteroctopus dofleini Casper ghost octopusUndescribed incirrate octopus Giant vent clamCalyptogena magnifica Venus’ flower basketEuplectella aspergillum