01 January 2009
Unusual locomotion by a worm
I'll start the New Year by blogging two worm videos; I found the upper one posted this morning at Arbroath. It appears to be a terrestrial annelid (rather than an insect larva or flatworm), but the curious aspect is the creature's locomotion. Worms typically move by expanding their anterior body segments while the posterior ones are contracted and grip the ground. In this specimen the extension is quite remarkable, and it give the appearance of an extensible inner sheath, or a body protected by a "foreskin."
Judging by the voices of the narrators, the video was probably filmed in Australia, which is home to the Giant Gipsland Earthworm (see lower video). Perhaps this is a small one of those?
While searching for info on this worm, I encountered a relevant blog - Worms of Endearment. I've left a query there; perhaps the blogger can help us out if the Aussies on the board don't have the answer.
p.s. - it's definitely not a Mongolian Death Worm.
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It may well be some kind of nemertea.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemertea
Although, frankly, I haven't got a clue.
Many thanks for the kind message you left on my page earlier!
It's been a big decision to let go of my 'baby'.
Happy New Year!
Kev
very informative. I know little about worms other than they make good fishing bait. In my experiences I have read a few articles on nematodes but little information has been retained.
ReplyDeleteI found a photo of a Nemertea with a long extendible proboscis at this link -
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mbari.org/benthic/other.html
but those appear to be benthic organisms. Maybe other worms extend their proboscis? This is getting just a little weird.
I think it could be a couple, or even a few, of those deep-sea 'monsters'.
ReplyDeleteSearching YouTube is no help either.