Marine Mystery 2: Guess the Invertebrate!

Can you guess the animal? Which one will you choose? Before you decide, you get 5 clues...

1. I am an invertebrate found in the deepest, darkest places on Earth, thriving where sunlight never shines and water boils from volcanic cracks.

2. Despite lacking a backbone, I have a white tubular body and a bright red plume, which I use not for breathing air, but for absorbing dissolved chemicals.

3. I survive thanks to a partnership with bacteria—together, we make food from hydrogen sulfide, a gas toxic to most life.

4. Though you won’t find me in your local pond, I can withstand crushing pressures and scalding temperatures, making me one of the hardiest invertebrates in the world.

5. My existence was a surprise to scientists, proving that life can flourish in places with no sunlight at all.

Which animal matches the clues?

• Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus)
• Giant Tube worms (Riftia pachyptila)
• Colossal Squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni)
• Deep-sea Anglerfish (Melanocetus johnsoni)