Weird worm
This odd-looking creature, Eulagisca gigantea, is just 8 inches long and swims in the chilly waters around Antarctica.
Bristles everywhere
The organism belongs to the polycheate class of marine worms, which are also called bristle worms. The golden bristles that ring E. gigantea's body could be used for swimming, creeping along the seafloor or for defense.
Toothy ornament
Its mouth is tipped with a sharp-toothed maw that makes E. gigantea look like Tim Burton's idea of a Christmas ornament.
Head? Mouth?
This may look like the marine worm's head, but it's actually a retractable pharynx. When the worm feeds, a toothy section of this pharynx extends to a length of 2 inches (5 centimeters), according to a photo in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History's collection.
Bristle worm - 10
When the pharynx is retracted, the worm has this appearance.
Scary scavenger?
The worm's sharp teeth suggest that it chows on other animals or scavenges their remains.
Bristle worm - 1
Here's another shot of the extended pharynx of the bristle worm living in Antarctica.
Defensive bristles
Like other marine worms in this group, E. gigantea has several leg-like parapodia encircled with hard bristles. The bristles can make the animals difficult to swallow and, in some species, can hold venom, according to the Smithsonian.
Leggy
A close-up of the hard golden bristles at the ends of E. gigantea's leggy structures.
Bristle worm - 8
Scientists have described 8,000 species of polychaetes, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI).
