The bootlace worm (''Lineus longissimus'') is a species of
ribbon worm
Nemertea is a phylum of animals also known as ribbon worms or proboscis worms, consisting of 1300 known species. Most ribbon worms are very slim, usually only a few millimeters wide, although a few have relatively short but wide bodies. Many h ...
and one of the longest known animals, with specimens up to long being reported, although this has not been confirmed. Its
mucus is highly toxic.
Taxonomy
The bootlace worm is in the phylum
Nemertea or ribbon worms. It is the most common nemertean found along the
coasts of
Britain.
Description
Bootlace worms may grow very long but are usually only in width. The body is brown with lighter (longitudinal) stripes. Its mucus contains a relatively strong
neurotoxin
Neurotoxins are toxins that are destructive to nerve tissue (causing neurotoxicity). Neurotoxins are an extensive class of exogenous chemical neurological insultsSpencer 2000 that can adversely affect function in both developing and mature ner ...
which it uses as a defense against predators. When handled, it produces large amounts of thick mucus with a faint pungent smell, reminiscent of iron or sewage. This toxic mucus has been shown to kill
crabs and
cockroaches, and could have applications as an agricultural
insecticide
Insecticides are substances used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and by consumers. Insecticides are claimed to b ...
.
In 1864,
William M'Intosh
William Carmichael M'Intosh LLD (also spelt McIntosh; 10 October 1838, St Andrews – 1 April 1931, St Andrews) was a Scottish physician and marine zoologist. He served as president of the Ray Society, as vice-president of the Royal Socie ...
described a specimen that had washed ashore in the aftermath of a severe storm by
St Andrews
St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...
,
Scotland, which was more than long,
[Gerald L. Wood ''Animal Facts and Feats: A Guinness Record of the Animal Kingdom'', pg 334.] longer than the longest known
Lion's mane jellyfish, the animal which is often considered to be the
longest in the world. However, records of extreme length should be taken with caution, because the bodies of nemerteans are flexible and can easily stretch to much more than their usual length.
Like other nemerteans, ''Lineus longissimus'' feeds using its
eversible proboscis. As it is in the class
Anopla, its proboscis is not armed with a barbed stylet. Instead, it has a cluster of sticky filaments at the end of its proboscis that it uses to immobilize prey.
Habitat
''Lineus longissimus'' can be found on Norway's and Britain's coasts, and also on Sweden's west coast.
References
External links
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Lineus longissimus (Gunnerus, 1770) (accepted name)Catalogue of Life: 30 April 2017
{{Taxonbar, from=Q134358
Marine fauna of Europe
Lineidae
Animals described in 1770
Taxa named by Johan Ernst Gunnerus