8/12/2004: Whalebone-eating worm

This is Osedax frankpressi. It's a newly-discovered species, and its job is to eat the bones of whales. (Thx elspode)

The full story explains that this tiny little creature exists only to feast on such bones, when the whales die, and are a part of the whole ecosystem that helps the whales decompose productively I guess.

According to the caption, This female worm, from the newly designated species Osedax frankpressi, has been dissected in the whale bone. The green tissue is where bacteria are found, and part of it has been torn, exposing the white ovary. A reddish "palp" captures oxygen for the worms and the bacteria.

How large is it? The largest female tubeworms the scientists recovered are about as long as your index finger and as thick as a pencil. What about the males? they live inside the females.

But it's more interesting to think of it as just another example of how weird, beautiful little things live all around us and we may not even know it.

just imagine what may be chewing on your bones without you knowledge right now.

Another member of Nature's cleanup crew at work. Awesome. :thumpsup:

Actually I was fibbing. This is the new Xbox2 controller.

Does it eat whale boners, too? I mean, how does this interfere with whales boning whales? Can they just be, "bone, bone, bone" without any trouble, or is it like crabs for whales?

Didn't we already see this one? Oh yeah, here.

Damn, it's not a critter, it's a community.

See-this is why I don't go into the sea. They're always finding some new species of something gross in there. Just think what that would feel like if you stepped on it--YUCK

I try very hard not to think about it. I heard that taking a shower only makes those critters worse---they thrive in hot, humid conditions. I am grossed out and it's not even noon yet.

And no I am NOT advocating for less showers. If nursing has taught me anything it's that people need showers and baths with lots of soap and sometimes the only thing that will do is a good body wax.

I just got back from the beaches of North Carolina, (7.5 hours of driving, with a hurricane on my tail). This year there were quite a few wormlike things completely encrusted with shells, which I hadn't seen before. There's always something wierd and new lurking in the ocean.

They eat whale bones?? That could cause problems for any of the ladies who are wearing corsets....

Weren't corset stays actually Baleen, Steve?

I have no idea. I've just heard of "whale-bone corset."

Good explanation From the link "Baleen is also called whalebone and used to be used as a plastic-like material." That's why the confusion.