Ice worm (original) (raw)
- Ice worms (also written as ice-worms or iceworms) are enchytraeid annelids of the genus Mesenchytraeus. The majority of the species in the genus are abundant in gravel beds or the banks of riverine habitats, but the best-known members of the genus are found in glacial ice. They include the only annelid worms known to spend their entire lives in glacial ice, and some of the few metazoans to complete their entire life cycle at conditions below 0 °C (32 °F). They were discovered in a wide range of environments, which include level snowfields, steep avalanche cones, crevasse walls, glacial rivers and pools, and hard glacier ice. These organisms are unique in that they can simply move between tightly packed ice crystals. They utilize setae, which are small bristles found on the outside of their bodies, to grip the ice and pull themselves along. The genus contains 77 species, including the North American glacier ice worm (Mesenchytraeus solifugus) and the Yosemite snow worm. Ice worms eat snow algae and bacteria. They live at zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit), but if temperatures dip even slightly below that, according to a Washington State University researcher, the worms die. (en)
- Mesenchytraeus (les vers de glace) est un genre de vers annélides de la famille des Enchytraeidae. Leur nom vient du fait qu’ils vivent exclusivement dans la glace. (fr)
- Mesenchytraeus är ett släkte av ringmaskar. Mesenchytraeus ingår i familjen småringmaskar. Kladogram enligt Catalogue of Life och Dyntaxa: (sv)
- 冰蟲是指Mesenchytraeus屬的環節動物的總稱，生活於北極地區的冰層中。 Mesenchytraeus solifugus是最早發現的種類，於1887年在阿拉斯加發現。是地球上極少數能在攝氏0度以下仍能生存的生物。冰蟲的酶在接近零度左右仍有活力；但溫度若超過5度，酶便會消化其細胞膜，把冰蟲本身給溶化。冰蟲可達約數公分長，體色有黑、藍、白等。在約清晨及傍晚時會接近冰層表面。以雪水藻類和花粉為食。 目前仍不清楚冰蟲如何在堅硬的冰層中建立通道。一些科學家認為冰蟲是以冰床中的超細微縫隙來旅行；一些人則相信冰蟲可以分泌某種化學物質來溶解冰層。 (zh)
- Mesenchytraeus (les vers de glace) est un genre de vers annélides de la famille des Enchytraeidae. Leur nom vient du fait qu’ils vivent exclusivement dans la glace. (fr)
- Mesenchytraeus är ett släkte av ringmaskar. Mesenchytraeus ingår i familjen småringmaskar. Kladogram enligt Catalogue of Life och Dyntaxa: (sv)
- 冰蟲是指Mesenchytraeus屬的環節動物的總稱，生活於北極地區的冰層中。 Mesenchytraeus solifugus是最早發現的種類，於1887年在阿拉斯加發現。是地球上極少數能在攝氏0度以下仍能生存的生物。冰蟲的酶在接近零度左右仍有活力；但溫度若超過5度，酶便會消化其細胞膜，把冰蟲本身給溶化。冰蟲可達約數公分長，體色有黑、藍、白等。在約清晨及傍晚時會接近冰層表面。以雪水藻類和花粉為食。 目前仍不清楚冰蟲如何在堅硬的冰層中建立通道。一些科學家認為冰蟲是以冰床中的超細微縫隙來旅行；一些人則相信冰蟲可以分泌某種化學物質來溶解冰層。 (zh)
- Ice worms (also written as ice-worms or iceworms) are enchytraeid annelids of the genus Mesenchytraeus. The majority of the species in the genus are abundant in gravel beds or the banks of riverine habitats, but the best-known members of the genus are found in glacial ice. They include the only annelid worms known to spend their entire lives in glacial ice, and some of the few metazoans to complete their entire life cycle at conditions below 0 °C (32 °F). The genus contains 77 species, including the North American glacier ice worm (Mesenchytraeus solifugus) and the Yosemite snow worm. (en)