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New Species of Worms Found To Release "Bombs"

Posted by kdawson on from the take-that-and-that dept.

caffiend666 writes "A newly found deep ocean worm 'can cast off green glowing body parts, a move scientists think may be a defensive effort to confuse attackers. Researchers have dubbed the newly discovered critters "green bombers." ... The first of the new species has been given the scientific name Swima bombiviridis. ... [T]he worms are able to regenerate the body parts.' So, it's a naturally occurring animal that rips off its arms and throws them, and we're not talking about a game from ID Software?"

6 of 104 comments (clear)

  1. Make love, not war by BourneTolouse · · Score: 5, Informative

    Wrong war analogy - the worms are releasing chaff.

  2. Where does the bomb part come in? by BForrester · · Score: 5, Informative

    "Bomb" is a bit of a misnomer. This is more of a flare/chaff countermeasure.

    Call it biological countermeasures or BCM if you need an accurate and succinct term for generating buzz.

    1. Re:Where does the bomb part come in? by Minwee · · Score: 4, Informative

      Call it biological countermeasures or BCM if you need an accurate and succinct term for generating buzz.

      The danger in that is that the media will pick it up and call it "Biological BCM Counter Measures".

  3. Is the new part that it glows? by electricprof · · Score: 2, Informative

    I know that it's also a new type of deep sea swimming worm but is the really sexy part that it glows? The article also points out that several other ocean creatures drop off or "throw" body parts, but I think they don't glow. Squids can drop off an arm and I think sea cucumbers can spit out something from their gut. Of course, many lizards can also break off their tail. I guess the real question is whether humans should develop glowing detachable body parts ...

  4. Neat, but don't sea cucumbers do something similar by Koreantoast · · Score: 4, Informative

    While this is an interesting new creature, this ability is hardly something new. Sea cucumbers after all are already known for its ability to fire off select internal organs at predators as a distraction so they can flee...

  5. Re:I bomb too by wastedlife · · Score: 2, Informative

    Mine doesn't confuse visually, though... it's more of an olfactory experience.

    That's for the benefit of the deaf.

    Blind deaf people?

    --
    Said, "It's just like dice but it's got more sides And it tells me who lives and who dies"