Back to Creature Archive

Bone-eating Worm

Osedax

Deep sea Bone-eating Worm specimen

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Abyssal Stats

Depth

25–4,000 m (82–13,100 ft)

Size

Up to 7 cm (2.8 in)

Habitat

Whale Falls

Diet

Whale bones

What they'd be sayin'

"I have no mouth or gut; I use bacteria to dissolve and absorb nutrients from whale bones."

Think you know the Bone-eating Worm?

Start Quiz

Deep Sea Profile

Officially known as Osedax, these 'bone-eating' worms lack mouths and stomachs, surviving by dissolving the bones of dead whales.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do they eat bone?

They secrete acid to dissolve the bone and rely on symbiotic bacteria to digest the nutrients.

View on Wikipedia
Take the QuizLibraryWikipedia