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Polychaete worms are common in the ocean. Many of these segmented worms have special adaptations enabling them to survive in extreme environments on the deep seafloor, such as decaying whale skeletons and hydrothermal vents. Some of these worms can tolerate water temperatures up to 176 degrees Fahrenheit! Watch the video to learn more about these amazing and diverse worms: | MBARI

To describe this polychaete, one simply must use jazz hands — it is the only way to capture this deep-sea worm’s dazzle! According to our friend Leo at Natural World Facts, the species name means many bristles. Each body segment has a pair of fleshy protrusions called parapodia covered in bristles called chaetae. Some worms are bioluminescent, but this sassy sparkler has protein structures in the bristles that make them iridescent. Polychaetes play a vital role throughout our global Ocean, from