![]() ![]() Planaria (singular: planarian) are flatworms that appear in many shapes and forms throughout the world in both fresh- and salt water. Keep reading for more information about planaria, how to identify these creepy worms and what to do about them. Ew! Luckily, they’re not harmful to most aquarium inhabitants. You might think that the perfect revenge on the earthworm-ravaging hammerhead worm is to cut it into pieces, but that’s actually the worst thing you could possibly do to a hammerhead worm if you want to get rid of it.If you’ve been an aquarist for a while, chances are you’ve spotted these white worm-like creatures crawling on the glass. Once the earthworm has been processed for nutrients, it will be excreted out of the same orifice it came in. ![]() To feed, a hammerhead worm will extend its pharynx – or throat – out of its mouth, secrete earthworm-dissolving enzymes onto its prey, and digest the softened flesh. Once an earthworm has been located, it will be subdued in a coat of mucus and cut into several pieces by a hungry hammerhead. Like an old man combing the beach with a metal detector, hammerhead worms use the chemoreceptors on the lower surface of their heads to sense earthworm mucus and body secretions on the substrate. Hammerhead worms glide across the ground on a single mucus-fuelled ‘creeping sole’, holding their half-moon-shaped heads aloft while moving them back and forth and side to side. They love anywhere that’s dark, cool, and moist, like piles of humus, or under rocks, logs or shrubs, and while they hate anywhere dry, they can withstand brief periods of desiccation by coiling themselves into a tight ball and enveloping themselves in mucus. ![]() Native to the tropic and temperate zones of Asia and Australasia, hammerhead worms of the Bipalium genus have invaded almost every corner of Europe and the United States. And as anyone who’s ever had a garden will know, earthworms are the good guys. A number of hammerhead worm species feed exclusively on earthworms, literally tearing them apart before dissolving them in enzymes and drinking them up. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |