Animated Short Explains Sex Life of the Green Spoonworm

Posted on September 21, 2013

This animated short from CreatureCast, in partnership with The New York Times, explains the sex life of the green spoonworm (Bonellia viridis). The Times asks, "What if a man was the size of a breath mint? And what if a woman had a chamber in her body where he lived out his entire adult life, absorbing nutrients and contributing sperm when she was ready to have babies?"

Green spoonworms are born sexless and seek out a female in the ocean as a larvae. If they find a female they move into a chamber in her body. If they fail to find a female they grow into a female themselves on the ocean floor. Take a look:

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