Osedax Mucofloris is a Bone-Eating Snot-Flower Worm

Posted on June 1, 2010

Osedax mucofloris is also known as the bone-eating snot-flower worm. The worm is a type of annelid worm that lives on whale bones on the sea floor. It was first discovered in 2005 on the remains of a dead whale in a fjord on the Swedish North Sea coast.

The worm appeared as a pink, flower-like plume growing out of the whale bones. Scientists discovered that the other part of the worm was buried inside the bone, probably feeding on it. You can watch a video about Osedax mucofloris here. The worms have also been called "zombie worms." The BBC has an article about them here.

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