The glitzy frilly horror show with giant protruding jaws that look like Alien’s xenomorph

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

The glitzy frilly horror show with giant protruding jaws that look like Alien’s xenomorph

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.

The Antarctic scale worm has a retractable mouthpart containing sharp jaws it uses to tear prey into pieces. . | Credit: Smithsonian NMNH

Name: Antarctic scale worm (Eulagisca gigantea)

Where it lives: Below 1,640 (500 meters) deep in Antarctica’s Southern Ocean

What it eats: Unknown. Probably other animals and/or organic debris.

Why it’s awesome: With their shimmering golden coats, these worms almost look glamorous — until you see their horrifying jaws, which resemble the mouth of the xenomorph from “Alien.”

The worms are named after the scales (known as elytra) that cover their bodies. These scales look a bit like human teeth, adding to the worms’ dazzling-yet-gruesome appearance.

Growing up to

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

(20 centimeters) long, Antarctic scale worms are a type of ocean-dwelling polychaete, or bristle worm (polychaete is Latin for “many bristles”). Related to

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

and leeches, there are over

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

named polychaete species.

They have segmented bodies, with loads of little bristles sticking out of each section.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

The scale worm lives deep in the Antarctic ocean and they grow up to 8 inches long. | Credit: Smithsonian NMNH

Different polychaete species use their bristles for different purposes, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

). In this case, Antarctic scale worms’ shimmering golden hairs could help them crawl or swim through the water, or defend themselves from threats. It’s unclear why their bristles are golden.

Related: Ghostly white giant worms appear to be reproducing under the seafloor where tectonic plates meet

Their most remarkable body part, however, is often hidden. Their purplish “head” isn’t actually a head at all but a retractable mouth they keep tucked away until they’re ready to feast. The worms unfurl this proboscis to reveal a set of jaws almost 3 inches (7 cm) wide complete with large, sharp teeth, according to

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

.

RELATED STORIES

—Pigbutt worm: The deep-sea ‘mystery blob’ with the ***** of a pig and a ballooned belly

—Sand striker: The glittering ‘bobbit’ worm that chops fish in half with its retractable jaws

—Rare ‘****** fire’ worms discovered in Japan bear a ‘striking’ resemblance to ancient demons, scientists say

We don’t know exactly what they eat, but according to “

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

” (Wren & Rook, 2020) their large teeth mean they are likely “quick and aggressive hunters.”

Although it was discovered in

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

, very little is known about this deep-sea species. Like other bristle worms, it probably plays an important role in keeping the ocean healthy. Bristle worms “are fabulous recyclers and builders, creating massive reef structures and tangles of tubes that house a myriad of other animals including crabs, snails, and (of course!) other worms,”

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

representatives wrote.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#glitzy #frilly #horror #show #giant #protruding #jaws #Aliens #xenomorph

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up