Stories
Scientists Discover Bizarre 'Zombie Worms' Eating Whale Bones, With Even Stranger Reproduction
- •Scientists discovered Osedax, also known as "zombie worms," in California's Monterey Canyon, feeding on whale bones in the deep ocean.
- •These worms use specialized root-like structures to penetrate bones, releasing acid to break them down and absorb nutrients with the help of internal bacteria.
- •Osedax worms lack a conventional mouth or digestive system, instead relying on symbiotic bacteria to process nutrients from the bones.
- •Female Osedax are significantly larger than males, with tiny males living inside the female's protective tube, fertilizing eggs internally in an extreme form of sexual dimorphism.
- •The discovery of Osedax highlights how whale carcasses create unique deep-sea ecosystems, providing resources for specialized organisms long after death.
Key Questions Answered
Osedax are a genus of bone-eating marine worms discovered in 2002 when researchers using a remotely operated vehicle spotted unusual red plumes growing on a decomposing grey whale in California's Monterey Canyon. The first formal species description occurred in 2004.
Osedax use specialised root-like structures that grow into whale bones and release acid and other compounds to break them down. Bacteria living within the worms' tissues then process the extracted nutrients, while feathery red gills absorb oxygen from the surrounding water.
Female Osedax worms exhibit extreme sexual dimorphism, growing considerably larger than males. Tiny males live inside the female's protective tube—with a single female hosting up to 100 males—until they fertilise her eggs.
