AMAZING SIGHT OF TWO METRE WORM ENJOYING WRIGGLE ROOM ON REEF
A DIVER has captured extraordinary footage of one of the world’s largest marine worms on the Great Barrier Reef.
Ocean Safari eco-host Raz Urch filmed a five-lined ribbon worm, in all of its 2m-long glory, after discovering it at Mackay Reef, off the coast of Cape Tribulation, on Saturday.
The worm, Baseodiscus quinquelineatus, is regarded as one of the longest free-living marine worms in the world and can reportedly grow up to 4.5m long.
The sighting was reported to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority via its Eye on the Reef program.
Ocean Safari office manager Kellie Roberts said it was a thrill to have spotted the worm oozing its very long body along the sand.
“It’s the first time in my six years here we’ve ever seen one of these, and we do see some weird things out there,” she said.
“Our eco-host certainly said she’d never seen anything like this before, either. “It was very big. “We were all pretty excited when she brought the footage home and it’s really, really lovely.”
There are more than 1000 species of ribbon worms worldwide inhabiting oceans, fresh water and land.
These unsegmented worms range from 1mm to more than 30m in length.
According to the University of Florida, the sea creatures stretch and contract their soft bodies, and move by gliding over the ocean’s bottom using slime and tiny hairs lining their bodies.
Ms Roberts said the ribbon worm was one of many interesting and unusual marine animals they had encountered on coral reefs off the Daintree coast in recent months, all dutifully reported to GBRMPA.
“The Reef is looking beautiful out there, at the moment – and that’s the feedback we get from most of our guests,” she said. “They all say how impressed they are with what they are seeing.”