Following on from yesterdays post “Very Weird Unknown life form found in Sewers!“, Cryptoworld can now confirm that is it REAL, but probably not what you’d expect!
It turns out to be nothing more than Bloodworms (Tubifex tubifex), which are small red worms that live in fresh water! Bit of an anticlimax, but still a weird sight if you ask me!
Tubifex tubifex, also called the sludge worm, or sewage worm, is a species of tubificid segmented worm that inhabits the sediments of lakes and rivers on several continents. Tubifex probably includes several species, but distinguishing between them is difficult because the reproductive organs, commonly used in species identification, are resorbed after mating, and because the external characteristics of the worm vary with changes in salinity.
The worms ingest sediments, selectively digest bacteria, and absorb molecules through their body walls. Micro-plastic ingestion by Tubifex worms acts a significant risk for trophic transfer and biomagnification of microplastics up the aquatic food chain.
The worms can survive with little oxygen by waving hemoglobin-rich tail ends to exploit all available oxygen, and can exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen through their thin skins, in a manner similar to frogs. They can also survive in areas heavily polluted with organic matter that almost no other species can endure.
By forming a protective cyst and lowering its metabolic rate, T. tubifex can survive drought and food shortage. Encystment may also function in the dispersal of the worm. They usually inhabit the bottom sediments of lakes, rivers, and occasionally sewer lines and outlets.
Weird. I used to buy these, freeze dried, to feed my beta. They look much different alive than freeze dried.
What makes them gather together in colonies or clumps like that? And what is the mucilaginous looking film that seems to cling to them and float on the surface of the water in some views?
Not buying it. I have been looking at all kinds of tubifex pictures and video and none match the things in the sewer video. Indeed, the video posted there ‘resembles’ the other, but there are too many other parts that do not match that shoots it down. The sewer critter is not in the water, but anchored above it…every tubifex I can find they are underwater and swimming. They can survive out of water for a time it seems, but prefer it. Weird that they would anchor above the water. Also, the actual connective tissues to the wall…not worms at all but some sort of membrane, either to hold a mass together or hold the creature to the wall. Also the weird needle thing the third one seems to be able to hold out and suck in. One particular worm playing the hokie pokie? I agree it is similar and I am no means an expert but I don’t think that’s the end explanation here. Going to visit with the biology department tomorrow to gather more opinions.
NOPE!!! That’s not it either. Its attachment to the pipe wall is NOT segmented worm, and worms do not have appendages such as seen extended and retracted several times by the third “animal” viewed in the original video. The first “animal” had attached itself and obstructed all but a small portion of the pipe, at the bottom. A ball of worms would not have that ability. A comparison of the two stills shows the original version to be a unified mass, while the blood worms is a glob of individual worms. NOPE!!! It still is not identified!
It’s very easy to get caught up in a unknown monster/controversy because it’s more fun than logic.
Sadly though, I do believe it is just worms we see. The comparison made by other posters show the worms in OTHER environments, so naturally there is going to be a slight difference when viewing worms in a nice clean setting.
Rather than happy and free to explore like in the freshwater video, the worms are holding on for dear life just above the stream of horrid sewage. which also explains why they are more slimy than usual. You crawl through a sewage pipe and see how “normal” you look when you come out.
If you focus your eyes on just one worm, you can see how they move individually until one gets startled, then they all move in unison, just like a school of fish.
I’m not sure of the Tubifex hypothesis. My first impression looking the video creature was this, too (Tubifex lumps used as aquarium food do this disgusting “contraction” when you blow it) but the mucus is too thick and the sewage things form a coherent structure, different from irregular worm aggregates.
But, hey, they can be another Tubifex species or simply an adaptation. Anyway they deserve to be collected and analyzed.
http://www.kdvr.com/kdvr-prehistoricsewermonstercaug-5439314,0,673974.story
According to the local Fox news network, its Bryozoans.
I’ve kept tropical fish for years and have often fed them live tubifex or bloodworms but i’ve never seen anything similar to this. Possibly an adaptation specific to tubifex worms living in the wild.
Bryozoans were one of the original theories, not sure which to believe now! I think tubifex looks a lot closer to the things in the video, and news14.com also seem to think it’s tubifex.
Who do we believe Fox or News14?