| Hesiocaeca methanicola | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Class: | Polychaeta |
| Order: | Phyllodocida |
| Family: | Hesionida |
| Genus: | Hesiocaeca |
| Species: | H. methanicola |
| Binomial name | |
| Hesiocaeca methanicola Desbruyères & Toulmond, 1998 |
|
Methane clathrate deposits in the ocean floor have been found to be inhabited by polychaete worms of the species Hesiocaeca methanicola. The worms colonize the methane ice and appear to survive by gleaning bacteria which in turn metabolize the clathrate.
In 1997, Charles Fisher, professor of biology at Penn State, discovered this remarkable creature living on mounds of methane ice at a depth of half a mile (~800 m) on the ocean floor in the Gulf of Mexico.[1] Fisher reported that experiments with live specimens showed that the mature creatures could survive in an anoxic environment for up to 96 hours. Fisher reported that experiments showed that the larvae were dispersed by currents, and died after 20 days if they did not find a place to feed.