What is the common name for the giant tube worm found at hydrothermal vents?

The common name for the giant tube worm found at hydrothermal vents is giant tube worm. The name usually refers to Riftia pachyptila, a remarkable annelid that lives in dense colonies around deep-sea vents.

These worms do not feed in the usual way. Their bodies contain specialized internal organs called trophosomes, which house symbiotic bacteria. The bacteria use chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide from vent fluids to make energy, and the worm receives nourishment from them. This chemosynthetic partnership allows the worms to thrive without sunlight.

Riftia pachyptila can grow to about 3 meters long, despite living in the deep ocean. Its bright red plume contains hemoglobin that binds oxygen and sulfide, helping transport both substances to the internal bacteria. The white tube surrounding the worm provides protection and anchors it to the seafloor.

The giant tube worm was first described from hydrothermal vents in the Galápagos Rift in 1981. It is sometimes called a giant beardworm, and “tube worm” can also refer to unrelated marine animals, including shallow-water polychaetes and the giant shipworm, a bivalve mollusk.