How Scary Can a Worm Be?
When you get into the ocean for a swim what are you most scared of? A good portion of people would probably say getting bit by a shark and some other people would probably say getting stung by a jellyfish, stingray, etc. My answer? Bobbit worms!
Bobbit worms' scientific name is Eunice aphrodiotis. It gets this name because of the wonderful rainbow colors on it (see image below). They can get around 10ft long and are extremely skilled predators. They feed mainly on fish but have been known to feed on crustaceans and anything else that happens to be above them.
Bobbit worms have a remarkable feeding technique: burrow in the ground, wait for something to swim or walk above, propel upward and strike. Once the Bobbit worm has control of its prey, it drags them under the surface and consumes them. Combine the speed at which it propels upwards with its strong bite and it can easily split its prey in half, if this happens the Bobbit worm will pull piece by piece down. There are videos on youtube of Bobbit worms feeding, but most of them are pets and they do not show accurate attacks in the wild.
So, why am I scared of Bobbit worms? I have no actual reason to be considering Uwphotographyguide says they're only native to:
Secret bay in Bali, Indonesia - Police Pier & Nudie Retreat in Lembeh, Indonesia - and Mainit Muck or Basura in Anilao, Philippines.
The damage a Bobbit worm could potentially cause is what frightens me. I like to get in the ocean and dig in the sand in the shallow areas, if Bobbit worms were to be near me this would be an issue. I could get too close to one of them and lose fingers or toes. While this is not very likely, it has happened in the past.
Bobbit worms typically know when they can actually take their prey and humans would be too big for them but everyone and everything makes mistakes.
Note: This information is my general knowledge of the species and the only sources I used for this is the image and link location.