News

A species of acorn worm, Glandiceps abyssicola, which hasn’t been seen for 140 years, was dredged up from the ocean floor by researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

The rare worm was first discovered—and last seen—by men aboard the HMS Challenger in 1873. The specimen was eventually brought to Germany, but was destroyed by bombs in World War II. This is the only specimen to be found since that initial discovery and it was found in almost the exact same spot as the first one in the Atlantic Ocean near South America.

Deep sea acorn worms are named for their acorn-shaped proboscis. They live on the seafloor and consume detritus, or organic matter, that makes its way down from the surface. Because they are extremely delicate, acorn worms are particularly difficult to collect.

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