Clamshut Waterworm

The clamshut waterworm split from its ancestor and moved to warmer waters. It specializes on parasitizing large scylarians. Unlike its ancestor it does not live inside its host’s gills, instead it embeds itself into the skin and uses its razor sharp tongue to feed on the rich blood vessels found in blubber. Its needle like jaws have developed into pincers that penetrate deep into the skin and once it lodges itself onto a skylarian it becomes almost impossible to get it off, hence the name. Often times skylarians can be found with multiple clamshut waterworms on their bodies. However, once the host starts weakening from blood loss the attached waterworms release a chemical into the water that keeps most other waterworms from trying to feed on that specific individual. This ensures that an infestation of waterworms is unlikely to be fatal, and for most of the hosts these parasites aren’t much more than nuisances. When an individual can’t find a host they will feed on plankton and detritus. Salt water ingested when filter feeding is excreted through tiny pores in their skin. However prolonged reliance on these passive forms of feeding leaves the waterworms incredibly lethargic, so it is important for them to find a host as soon as possible lest they be eaten by predators.

Clamshut waterworms are far more hydrodynamic than their ancestors. Their fins have become much larger and they have a more serpentine shaped body. Their tails are now lobed and surprisingly powerful, flicking it allows for quick bursts of speed. They are known to both smell and taste horribly, especially after gorging themselves on blood. Because of this they are only targeted by desperate predators, or those without a sense of smell or taste. They have a breeding season in early spring where they gather in massive shoals at the coast. They bury their eggs in the sand, and their larvae hatch soon after the parents leave. Young bleeding water worms feed mostly on plankton. It is only when they become adults that their pincers develop and they begin feeding on blood.

Note: Picture by Coolsteph