So big I could pet it

By Dr Bik, on September 15th, 2010 6 comments   New Species, Organisms   deep sea, Gulf of Mexico, nematode, New Species  

While sorting through my deep-sea Gulf of Mexico samples this morning I found this freakin’ huge nematode.  Isn’t it awesome????  Usually its only the parasitic species that get so big, but this one is a free-living species.  I’ll be pretty pissed off if BP has made this one extinct…

6 comments to So big I could pet it

• SouthernFriedScientist

  September 15, 2010 at 10:43 · Reply

  Epic!

• Oil queen

  September 15, 2010 at 12:49 · Reply

  where was that actually found?

• Jingels

  September 15, 2010 at 18:24 · Reply

  Any idea on the genus? in deeper anoxic sediments?

• Dr. M

  September 15, 2010 at 23:39 · Reply

  Abyssal gigantism? New species or an aberrant described one?

• Dr. Bik

  September 18, 2010 at 09:47 · Reply

  This was from the deep-sea sites in the Gulf (slightly Southwest of Louisiana’s boot tip, I think). Most likely a known genus but a new species (well, new as in not formally described since most deep-sea nematodes haven’t been)–will send an update when our taxonomist collaborator has looked at this worm!

• bowsprite

  September 24, 2010 at 19:36 · Reply

  THAT’S what a nematode looks like?? gosh! I would have thought it was part of a frayed nylon onion bag. I am impressed.