Biology
Reaching a length of up to 13 centimeters (5 inches), Pompeii worms are a pale grey with "hairy" backs; these "hairs" are actually colonies of bacteria which are thought to afford the worm some degree of insulation. Glands on the worm's back secrete a mucus which the bacteria feed on (see symbiosis). The Pompeii worms form large aggregate colonies enclosed in delicate, paper-thin tubes.
Pompeii worms have a feather-shaped head. The plume of tentacle-like structures on it are gills, coloured red by hemoglobin.
Read more about this topic: Alvinella Pompejana
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