A nice SEM of a common hydrothermal vent scaleworm. The pappillae surrounding its mouth are sensory and jaws are in 4 parts. This allows it to be more flexible when everting. That’s right, this bad boy everts its pharynx out like a boss and snatches small crustaceans. Its not actually correct like it says below that they eat microbes. Most are omnivorous or carnivorous. A Lepidonotopodium from the Mid-Atlantic ridge has been observed with an amphipod crushed in its jaws. They graze among the bacterial mats though and may feed on protists. Bacterial filaments (which are about as long as small hairs) have been found in guts.
These terrifying chompers belong to a rather cuddly-looking worm called Lepidonotopodium, that lives in hot deep-sea vents off the western coast of Canada. It fees on
hopebacteria and other microbes.
