May 05, 2021 08:00 PM EDT
Experts recently discovered tiny worms can see light in the absence of their eyes or their heads. Planarians are a form of flatworm, they are soft-bodied creatures and lack complex organs.
(Photo : Getty Images)
Ultraviolet (UV) Light
They possess two eyes that attach to a centralized bundle of ganglia in their heads and does the work of the brain, those eyes are very sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light. The worms make use of their cilia (tiny hairlike structures on their bodies) in the presence of UV light to crawl away.
But, it turns out that the wee worms that measure just some millimeters long are not in need of their eyes or their brains for detection of light. When scientists cut off planarians heads, the worms still had the ability to sense UV light. Cutting off the head of an animal might seem like a strange way to carry out behavior experiments.
(Photo : Karolina Grabowska)
Nature can be mysterious. You can find worms that do not have a butt dwelling in the deep sea, while in reef-dwelling worms that are segmented whose bodies branch like a tree starting from its head, every branch ends in a different butt.
(Photo : Quang Nguyen Vinh)
This species is known as
Ramisyllis multicaudata, and it s likely the most mysterious worm on the planet. In 2006, It was initially discovered, and in 2012 it was formally described. Now, for the first time, experts have carried out a comprehensive study of its anatomy, finally disclosing more about this mustifying creature - and bringing up even more questions about how it lives its strange life.
Apr 20, 2021 08:00 PM EDT
Extremely invasive species of jumping worms first seen in Wisconsin in 2013 has now been discovered in over a dozen Midwestern states.The worm (Amynthas spp) is indigenous to East Asia but is believed to have been conveyed into the U.S. as fishing bait.
(Photo : Getty Images)
Jumping Worms Have the Ability to Shed Their Own Tails
Experts warn they consume organic matter found in the soil, feeding on many of the useful nutrients that fungi, animals, and plants require to flourish. When the species was initially introduced to the country it was restricted to areas along the coasts of the U.S., but has since dispersed inland, KTVI reported.