Giant tube worm - wikipedia Giant tube worm Not to be confused with Giant tube worm ( shipworm ). Giant tube worms Scientific classification Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Annelida Class : Polychaeta Order : Canalipalpata Family : Siboglinidae Genus : Riftia Species : R. pachyptila Binomial name Riftia pachyptila M.L. Jones, 1981 Giant tube worms, Riftia pachyptila, are marine invertebrates in the phylum Annelida ( formerly grouped in phylum Pogonophora and Vestimentifera ) related to tube worms commonly found in the intertidal and pelagic zones. Riftia pachyptila live over a mile deep, and up to several miles deep, on the floor of the Pacific Ocean near black smokers, and can tolerate extremely high hydrogen sulfide levels. These worms can reach a length of 2.4 m ( 7 ft 10 in ) and their tubular bodies have a diameter of 4 cm ( 1.6 in ). Ambient temperature in their natural environment ranges from 2 to 30 degrees Celsius. The common name `` giant tube worm '' is however also applied to the largest living species of shipworm, Kuphus polythalamia, which despite the name `` worm '' is a bivalve mollusc, rather than an annelid. Contents 1 Development 2 Body structure 3 Energy and nutrient source 4 Reproduction 5 Growth rate and age 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Development Riftia develop from a free - swimming, pelagic, non-symbiotic trochophore larva, which enters juvenile ( metatrochophore ) development, becoming sessile and subsequently acquiring symbiotic bacteria. The symbiotic bacteria, on which adult worms depend for sustenance, are not present in the gametes, but are acquired from the environment via the skin in a process akin to an infection. The digestive tract transiently connects from a mouth at the tip of the ventral medial process to a foregut, midgut, hindgut and anus and was previously thought to have been the method by which the bacteria is introduced into adults. After symbionts are established in the midgut, it undergoes substantial remodelling and enlargement to become the trophosome, while the remainder of the digestive tract has not been detected in adult specimens. Body structure Hydrothermal vent tubeworms get organic compounds from bacteria that live in their trophosome. They have a highly vascularized, red `` plume '' at the tip of their free end which is an organ for exchanging compounds with the environment ( e.g., H S, CO, O, etc. ). The tube worm does not have many predators. If threatened, the plume may be retracted into the worm 's protective tube. The plume provides essential nutrients to bacteria living inside the trophosome. Tube worms have no digestive tract, but the bacteria ( which may make up half of a worm 's body weight ) convert oxygen, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, etc. into organic molecules on which their host worms feed. This process, known as chemosynthesis, was recognized within the trophosome by Colleen Cavanaugh. The bright red color of the plume structures results from several extraordinarily complex hemoglobins, which contain up to 144 globin chains ( each presumably including associated heme structures ). These tube worm hemoglobins are remarkable for carrying oxygen in the presence of sulfide, without being inhibited by this molecule as hemoglobins in most other species are. Nitrate and nitrite are toxic, but nitrogen is required for biosynthetic processes. The chemosynthetic bacteria within the trophosome convert this nitrate to ammonium ions, which then are available for production of amino acids in the bacteria, which are in turn released to the tube worm. To transport nitrate to the bacteria, R. pachyptila concentrate nitrate in their blood, to a concentration 100 times more concentrated than the surrounding water. The exact mechanism of R. pachyptila 's ability to withstand and concentrate nitrate is still unknown. Energy and nutrient source With sunlight not available directly as a form of energy, the tube worms rely on bacteria in their habitat to oxidize hydrogen sulfide, using dissolved oxygen in the water as an electron acceptor. This reaction provides the energy needed for chemosynthesis. For this reason, tube worms are partially dependent on sunlight as an energy source, since they use free oxygen, which has been liberated by photosynthesis in water layers far above, to obtain nutrients. In this way tube worms are similar to many forms of ocean life which live at depths that sunlight can not penetrate. However, tube worms are remarkable in being able to use bacteria to indirectly obtain almost all the materials they need for growth from molecules dissolved in water. Some nutrients have to be filtered out of the water. Tube worm growth resembles that of hydroponically grown fungi more than it does that of typical animals which need to `` eat ''. One other species is known to have a very similar lifestyle : the giant shipworm ( which is a mollusc, not a worm, though it bears a superficial resemblance ). Reproduction To reproduce, Riftia pachyptila females release lipid - rich eggs into the surrounding water so they start to float upwards. The males then unleash sperm bundles that swim to meet the eggs. After the eggs have hatched, the larvae swim down to attach themselves to the rock. Growth rate and age Riftia pachyptila has the fastest growth rate of any known marine invertebrate. These organisms have been known to colonize a new site, grow to sexual maturity and increase in length to 4.9 feet ( 1.5 m ) in less than two years. This is in sharp contrast to Lamellibrachia luymesi, the tube worms that live at deep sea cold seeps and grow very slowly for most of their lives. It takes from 170 to 250 years for Lamellibrachia luymesi to grow 2 meters in length, and even longer worms have been discovered. See also Siboglinidae Lamellibrachia List of long - living organisms Maximum life span Pompeii worm Chemosynthesis References Jump up ^ Ruppert, E. ; Fox, R. ; Barnes, R. ( 2007 ). Invertebrate Zoology : A functional Evolutionary Approach ( 7th ed. ). Belmont : Thomson Learning. ISBN 0 - 03 - 025982 - 7. Jump up ^ Bright, M. ; Lallier, F.H. ( 2010 ). `` The biology of vestimentiferan tubeworms '' ( PDF ). Oceanography and Marine Biology : An Annual Review. Taylor & Francis. 48 : 213 -- 266. doi : 10.1201 / ebk1439821169 - c4. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 2013 - 10 - 31. Retrieved 2013 - 10 - 30. Jump up ^ Monica Bright. `` Riftia pachyptila ''. Jump up ^ Diane K. Adams ; et al. ( Mar 2012 ). `` Larval dispersal : Vent life in the ocean column '' ( PDF ). Oceanography. Jump up ^ Meredith L. Jones ; Stephen L. Gardiner ( Oct 1989 ). `` On the early development of the vestimentiferan tube worm Ridgeia sp. and Observations on the Nervous System and Trophosome of Ridgeia sp. and Riftia pachyptila '' ( PDF ). Biol Bull. pp. 254 -- 276. Jump up ^ Cavanaugh, Colleen M. ; et al. ( 1981 ). `` Prokaryotic Cells in the Hydrothermal Vent Tube Worm Riftia pachyptila Jones : Possible Chemoautotrophic Symbionts ''. Science. 213 ( 4505 ) : 340 -- 342. doi : 10.1126 / science. 213.4505. 340. PMID 17819907. Jump up ^ Zal F, Lallier FH, Green BN, Vinogradov SN, Toulmond A ( Apr 1996 ). `` The multi-hemoglobin system of the hydrothermal vent tube worm Riftia pachyptila. II. Complete polypeptide chain composition investigated by maximum entropy analysis of mass spectra '' ( Free full text ). J. Biol. Chem. 271 ( 15 ) : 8875 -- 81. doi : 10.1074 / jbc. 271.15. 8875. ISSN 0021 - 9258. PMID 8621529. Jump up ^ Minic Z, Hervé G ( Aug 2004 ). `` Biochemical and enzymological aspects of the symbiosis between the deep - sea tubeworm Riftia pachyptila and its bacterial endosymbiont ''. Eur. J. Biochem. ( Free full text ) format = requires url = ( help ). 271 ( 15 ) : 3093 -- 102. doi : 10.1111 / j. 1432 - 1033.2004. 04248. x. ISSN 0014 - 2956. PMID 15265029. Jump up ^ Edda Hahlbeck ; Mark A. Pospesel ; Franck Zal ; James Childress ; Horst Felbeck ( July 2005 ). `` Proposed nitrate binding by hemoglobin in Riftia pachyptila '' ( Free full text ). Deep - Sea Research. 52 ( 10 ) : 1885 -- 1895. doi : 10.1016 / j. dsr. 2004.12. 011. ISSN 0967 - 0637. Jump up ^ C. Michael Hogan. 2011. Sulfur. Encyclopedia of Earth, eds. A. Jorgensen and C.J. Cleveland, National Council for Science and the environment, Washington DC Archived October 28, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Lutz, R.A. ; Shank, T.M. ; Fornari, D.J. ; Haymon, R.M. ; Lilley, M.D. ; Von Damm, K.L. ; Desbruyeres, D. ( 1994 ). `` Rapid growth at deep - sea vents ''. Nature. 371 ( 6499 ) : 663. doi : 10.1038 / 371663a0. Jump up ^ `` Tube Worms In Deep Sea Discovered To Have Record Long Life Spans ''. ScienceDaily. Kristen M. Kusek : : Oceanus Magazine, Originally published online January 12, 2007 http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/feature/deep-sea-tubeworms-get-versatile-inside-help External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Riftia pachyptila. Wikispecies has information related to Riftia pachyptila Privett, B. ( 2001 ). `` Riftia pachyptila ''. Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved February 25, 2008. Giant Tube Worm page at the Smithsonian Podcast on Giant Tube Worm at the Encyclopedia of Life http://www.seasky.org/monsters/sea7a1g.html http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/annelida/pogonophora.html http://www.ocean.udel.edu/deepsea/level-2/creature/tube.html Extremophiles Types Acidophile Alkaliphile Capnophile Cryozoa Endolith Halophile Hypolith Lipophile Lithoautotroph Lithophile Methanogen Metallotolerant Oligotroph Osmophile Piezophile Polyextremophile Psammophile Psychrophile Radioresistant Thermophile / Hyperthermophile Thermoacidophile Xerophile Notable extremophiles Bacteria Chloroflexus aurantiacus Deinococcus radiodurans Deinococcus -- Thermus Snottite Thermus aquaticus Thermus thermophilus Spirochaeta americana GFAJ - 1 Archaea Pyrococcus furiosus Strain 121 Pyrolobus fumarii Eukaryota Cyanidioschyzon merolae Galdieria sulphuraria Paralvinella sulfincola Halicephalobus mephisto Pompeii worm Tardigrada Related articles Abiogenic petroleum origin Acidithiobacillales Acidobacteria Acidophiles in acid mine drainage Archaeoglobaceae Berkeley Pit Blood Falls Crenarchaeota Grylloblattidae Halobacteria Halobacterium Helaeomyia petrolei Hydrothermal vent Methanopyrus Movile Cave Radiotrophic fungus Rio Tinto Taq polymerase Thermostability Thermotogae Extant Animal phyla Domain Archaea Bacteria Eukaryota ( Supergroup Plant Hacrobia Heterokont Alveolata Rhizaria Excavata Amoebozoa Opisthokonta Animal Fungi ) n i m l i Porifera ( sponges ) Diploblasts ( Eumetazoa ) Ctenophora ( comb jellies ) ParaHoxozoa Placozoa ( Trichoplax ) Planulozoa Cnidaria ( jellyfish and relatives ) Bilateria ( Triploblasts ) ( see below ↓ ) Bilateria Xenacoelomorpha Xenoturbellida ( Xenoturbella ) Acoelomorpha acoels nemertodermatids p h r o z o Deuterostomia Chordata lancelets tunicates craniates / vertebrates Ambulacraria Echinodermata ( starfish and relatives ) Hemichordata acorn worms pterobranchs r o o s o m i Ecdysozoa Scalidophora Kinorhyncha ( mud dragons ) Priapulida ( penis worms ) N + L + P Nematoida Nematoda ( roundworms ) Nematomorpha ( horsehair worms ) L + P Loricifera Panarthropoda Arthropoda ( arthropods ) Tardigrada ( waterbears ) Onychophora ( velvet worms ) p i r l i Gnathifera 1 Chaetognatha ( arrow worms ) Gnathostomulida ( jaw worms ) Micrognathozoa ( Limnognathia ) Syndermata Rotifera Acanthocephala Platytrochozoa R + M Mesozoa Orthonectida Dicyemida or Rhombozoa Rouphozoa 1 Platyhelminthes ( flatworms ) Gastrotricha ( hairybacks ) Lophotrochozoa Cycliophora ( Symbion ) Mollusca ( molluscs ) A + N Annelida ( ringed worms ) Nemertea ( ribbon worms ) Lophophorata Bryozoa Entoprocta or Kamptozoa Ectoprocta ( moss animals ) Brachiozoa Brachiopoda ( lamp shells ) Phoronida ( horseshoe worms ) Major groups within phyla Sponges Calcareous Hexactinellid Demosponge Homoscleromorpha Cnidarians Anthozoa inc. corals Medusozoa inc. jellyfish Myxozoa Vertebrates Jawless fish Cartilaginous fish Bony fish Amphibians Reptiles / Birds Mammals Echinoderms Sea lilies Asterozoa inc. starfish Echinozoa Nematodes Chromadorea Enoplea Secernentea Arthropods Chelicerates / Arachnids Myriapods Crustaceans Hexapods / Insects Platyhelminths Turbellaria Trematoda Monogenea Cestoda Bryozoans Phylactolaemata Stenolaemata Gymnolaemata Annelids Polychaetes Clitellata Echiura Molluscs Gastropods Cephalopods Bivalves Chitons Tusk shells Phyla with ≥ 5000 extant species bolded See also Diploblasts Monoblastozoa ( nomen dubium ) 1 Platyzoa Taxon identifiers Wd : Q133020 ADW : Riftia ARKive : riftia - pachyptila EoL : 393274 GBIF : 2329590 ITIS : 563979 NCBI : 6426 WoRMS : 266010 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Giant_tube_worm&oldid=814808222 '' Categories : Sabellida Animals described in 1981 Chemosynthetic symbiosis Hidden categories : Pages using citations with format and no URL All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from January 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links Webarchive template wayback links Articles with ' species ' microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikispecies Azərbaycanca Català Cebuano Čeština Deutsch Español فارسی Français Italiano עברית Magyar Nederlands Polski Português Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska தமிழ் Українська Winaray Edit links This page was last edited on 11 December 2017, at 01 : 37. 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Question: how do chemoautotrophic bacteria and archaea that live near hydrothermic vents obtain energy
Answer: a highly vascularized, red "plume" at the tip of their free end