Meet the pigbutt worm – that looks just like it sounds. Never has a name been so apt…
Chaetopterus pugaporcinus, the pig’s rump worm – also known as the pigbutt worm, is one of those species whose name perfectly describes its appearance.
To see one, you’ll need to dive 800m into the twilight zone where they float around looking – quite frankly – like a pair of pink, peachy pig’s buttocks.
What are pig butt worms?
Credit: 2011 MBARI
These are polychaete worms, relatives of common coastal species like lugworms and ragworms, which generally have bodies divided into segments, each one bearing lots of bristles known as chaete (hence polychaete).
In the pig’s rump worm, one segment has enlarged into a jelly- filled bubble that boosts the animal’s buoyancy and helps it float, saving energy in deep waters where there’s little food and oxygen.
Definitely worthy of a place on our weirdest sea creatures list
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Top image: A pigbutt worm (Chaetopterus pugaporcinus) photographed in the laboratory. Credit: Karen Osborn © 2006 MBARI