Annelid · marine worm

Scorching chimney worm

Paralvinella sulfincola

PacificAtlanticIndianSouthernArctic A single ocean

Depth

About 2,000 to 2,200 m, on the hydrothermal chimneys of the Northeast Pacific

Size

About 1.5 to 2 cm

Diet

Mainly bacteria that it grazes on the chimneys

Zone

The sea floor · 200 – 3,500 m

Key facts

• It chooses on its own water at 40 to 50 °C. This is one of the hottest temperatures ever tolerated by an aquatic animal.
• Some lasted 7 hours at 50 °C in the laboratory. At 60 °C, they die within a few minutes.
• It builds itself a mucus tube stuck to the chimneys, but it can leave it and move around.
• Its red, feather-duster gills look like tiny palm trees.

Verified sources

1. Washington State University, Biologists show marine worms can really take the heat
2. Lee 2003 / WSU, Thermal preference and tolerance of alvinellids
3. NBC News, Some worms like it really, really hot
4. Walla Walla University, Invertebrates of the Northeast Pacific, Paralvinella sulfincola

In the game: To observe

In the same zone

Hairy vent snailAlviniconcha spp. White vent crabBythograea thermydron Kairei blind crabAustinograea rodriguezensis Atlantic vent eelpoutPachycara thermophilum Long-rostrum shrimpAlvinocaris longirostris Methane musselGigantidas childressi (formerly Bathymodiolus childressi)