22 Jan 2021, 20:45 GMT
Predatory sand striker worms can grow up to 10 feet in length. This one was photographed in the Lembeh Strait, Indonesia.
Photograph by Photograph from Ryan Rossotto, Nat Geo Image Collection
Hidden beneath the seafloor around coral reefs, giant worms wait until an unlucky fish swims close enough for them to nab with their jagged, agile jaws and pull back into their sandy burrows. These rapid, deadly attacks have earned the worms the name sand strikers.
Scientific Reports indicate that versions of these voracious sea worms were likely snacking on unsuspecting fish about 20 million years ago in what is now northern Taiwan.
Posted: Jan 21, 2021 11:00 AM ET | Last Updated: January 21
A modern Bobbit worm hunts on the sea floor with just its head exposed. Researchers have found fossils suggesting they were terrorizing the ocean the same way 20 million years ago.(Chutinun Mora)