''Turbatrix aceti'' (vinegar eels, vinegar nematode, ''Anguillula aceti'') are free-living
nematode
The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-Parasitism, parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhab ...
s that feed on a
microbial culture
A microbiological culture, or microbial culture, is a method of multiplying microbial organisms by letting them reproduce in predetermined culture medium under controlled laboratory conditions. Microbial cultures are foundational and basic diagn ...
called
mother of vinegar
Mother of vinegar is a biofilm composed of a form of cellulose, yeast and bacteria that sometimes develops on fermenting alcoholic liquids during the process that turns alcohol into acetic acid with the help of oxygen from the air and acetic acid b ...
(used to create
vinegar
Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains 5–8% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to et ...
) and may be found in unfiltered vinegar. They were discovered by
Pierre Borel
Pierre Borel ( la, Petrus Borellius; c. 1620 – 1671) was a French savant: a chemist (and reputed alchemist), physician, and botanist.
Borel was born in Castres. He became a doctor of medicine at the University of Montpellier in 1640. In 16 ...
in 1656.
Their environment makes them exceptionally tolerant of variation in
acidity
In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a sequ ...
and
alkalinity
Alkalinity (from ar, القلوي, al-qaly, lit=ashes of the saltwort) is the capacity of water to resist acidification. It should not be confused with basicity, which is an absolute measurement on the pH scale.
Alkalinity is the strength of ...
and they may be able to tolerate a wider range than any other species, being able to survive from
pH 1.6 to 11.
Vinegar eels are often given to fry (baby
fish
Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...
) as a live food, like
microworms.
Although they are harmless and non-
parasitic
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has c ...
, leaving eels in
vinegar
Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains 5–8% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to et ...
is considered objectionable in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and is not permitted in vinegar destined for American consumers. Manufacturers normally
filter
Filter, filtering or filters may refer to:
Science and technology
Computing
* Filter (higher-order function), in functional programming
* Filter (software), a computer program to process a data stream
* Filter (video), a software component tha ...
and
pasteurize
Pasteurization or pasteurisation is a process of food preservation in which packaged and non-packaged foods (such as milk and fruit juices) are treated with mild heat, usually to less than , to eliminate pathogens and extend shelf life. ...
their product prior to bottling, destroying the live bacterial and yeast culture that these nematodes require for sustenance.
At high concentration near a boundary, vinegar eels synchronize their undulations forming a collective wave.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1368890
Rhabditida
Vinegar