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Some Like It Hot

February 10, 2015

Alvinella pompejana is named after the submersible Alvin and the Roman city of Pompeii, which was destroyed by a volcano. Also known as the Pompeii worm, it can withstand the hottest temperatures of any known animal. The worms have a thick layer of bacteria-covered “hair” on their back and live in paper-thin tubes with their tail end resting in hydrothermal vent fluid as hot as 176°F, while their feathery heads stick out of the tubes into much cooler, 72°F seawater. The bacteria feed on mucus the worms secrete, and scientists think the bacterial fur provides insulation for the worms.(Photo by Irene Garcia-Berdeal, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)