Eunice aphroditois
Species of worm / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Eunice aphroditois is a benthic bristle worm of warm marine waters. It lives mainly in the Atlantic Ocean, but can also be found in the Indo-Pacific.[1][2] It ranges in length from less than 10 cm (4 in) to 3 m (10 ft).[3] Its exoskeleton displays a wide range of colors, from black to purple and more. This species is an ambush predator; it hunts by burrowing its whole body in soft sediment on the ocean floor and waiting until its antennae detect prey.[4] It then strikes with its sharp mouthparts.[5] It may also be found among coral reefs.
Eunice aphroditois | |
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A burrowed Eunice aphroditois | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Annelida |
Clade: | Pleistoannelida |
Subclass: | Errantia |
Order: | Eunicida |
Family: | Eunicidae |
Genus: | Eunice |
Species: | E. aphroditois |
Binomial name | |
Eunice aphroditois Pallas, 1788 | |
E. aphroditois is also known as the bobbit worm[6][7] or bobbitt worm.[8] The name is believed to be taken from the John and Lorena Bobbitt case;[9] however, another proposed reason is due to its jaw. It is sometimes called the sand striker.[8] Another name associated with them is trap-jaw worm, noted in 2021 to have been found among fossils near Taiwan dating back twenty million years.[10]