{"id":17963,"date":"2022-09-24T19:00:33","date_gmt":"2022-09-24T17:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=125237"},"modified":"2022-09-24T19:21:10","modified_gmt":"2022-09-24T17:21:10","slug":"what-is-a-hammerhead-worm","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/what-is-a-hammerhead-worm\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a hammerhead worm?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Helen Pilcher\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Saturday, 24 September 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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This predatory flatworm, native to tropical and subtropical regions but now invasive worldwide, stalks and then kills the good guys \u2013 aka earthworms<\/a> \u2013 with grisly aplomb.<\/p>\n

Sensory organs on the underside of its unusual hammer-shaped head help the worm to detect its prey, which it then pins down with its head and body. The predator\u2019s mouth, which is located halfway down its body, opens wide, and the back portion of the mouth extends forwards to form a sheet which then clamps around the earthworm.<\/p>\n

Digestive enzymes are secreted, turning the earthworm\u2019s body into a tasty soup, which is then sucked up by the predator. When the job is done, any undigested material exits the worm the\u00a0same way that it entered. Yes, that\u2019s right, the hammerhead worm\u2019s mouth is also its anus.<\/p>\n

Like all good Netflix<\/em> villains, the hammerhead worm is also toxic. At least two species produce a neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin, which they use to help subdue prey up to 100 times their own mass.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re also relentless.<\/p>\n

Chop them into pieces, and the feisty worms regenerate, making them seemingly immortal\u2026 unless you are familiar with the hammerhead worm\u2019s Achilles heel, which is, in fact, just a dip in soapy water.<\/p>\n

So maybe they\u2019re not so scary after all!<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n