'Zombie Worms' Devour Whale Bone With Skeleton-Melting Acid, New Study Finds (PHOTO)

According to a recent study, a mouth-free, intestinal worm punctures a bone and uses acid to feed off deep-sea animal remains.

According to researchers at the Scripps Oceanographic Institute at the University of California at San Diego, this creature is often called a "zombie worm", releasing a strong acid and biting internal nutrients through whale bone. The findings were published on Journal of the Royal Society B on May 1st.

The worm uses a similar process to destroy bones and it can also be used to repair fractures. Scientists still do not know how they eat without mouth, but according to press release these organisms may be symbiotic with bacteria that metabolize organic compounds.

They are mainly found in whale bones, but worms have also been found in shark ruins and other fish, LiveScience reports

Osteoids including the genus Osedax were first discovered by researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Laboratory in 2002 and discovered on Earth since then.

Even more strangely, Tresguerres stated that the worm lacked the digestive system. Studies have shown that acids produced by worms can release collagen and other proteins in whale bones, but the way they are broken down and absorbed by worms is unknown. Tresguerres and co-authors Sigrid Katz and Greg Rouse believe symbiotic bacteria are useful for animal food digestion

According to researchers at the Scripps Oceanographic Institute at the University of California at San Diego, this creature is often called a "zombie worm", releasing a strong acid and biting internal nutrients through whale bone. The findings were published on Journal of the Royal Society B on May 1st.

Five zombie worms (Osedax sp.) Were named because of the tendency of animal bone to break down at the seabed. Most of them were observed to eat whale bones, but they did not distinguish whether other debris is available. Because the zombie worm's skin produces acids that melt the bones, they can reach the fat and protein embedded in the bone. Without mouth and stomach, worms depend on various root systems. They implanted the roots in the bones, and the symbiotic bacteria rooted in the roots helped them digest the food. Scientists do not yet know how nutrients actually enter zombie worms.

Zombie worms do not crave brains: instead they want bones. Osedax worms of 1 to 3 inches (2 to 7 cm) were originally found in gray whale bones rotten in the deep sea floor in 2002 and their depth was about 10,000 feet (3,000 m). Since then, more Osedax species have been discovered: according to the World Ocean Species registration, there are five species. The zombie worm digests fat in the bones, not directly eating mineral bones. But their "eating" style is completely different from ours because they do not have mouth or stomach! They secrete acid from the skin, dissolve the bone, and release the trapped fat and protein inside. After that, symbiotic bacteria living in insects digest fat and protein. It is not clear how Osedax gets nutrients from bacteria: they may only digest bacteria, or nutrients are transferred to the worm in some way.