Giant tube worm
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| phylum | Annelida | Giant tube worms, Riftia pachyptila, are marine annelids that can live up to several miles deep near black smokers on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. They rely on bacteria to oxidize hydrogen sulfide for chemosynthesis, using dissolved oxygen in the water. These worms can reach a length of 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) at a rapid growth rate of nearly 5 feet in 2 years. The red plume at the tip is for exchanging compounds with the environment. The ambient temperature ranges from 2 to 30 degrees Celsius.
For more information visit the Wikipedia entry. Get back to Annelida |
| Class | Polychaeta | |
| order | Canalipalpata | |
| family | Siboglinidae | |
| genus | Riftia | |
| species | R. pachyptila |
