Article: Researchers discover worm that feasts on whale bones.

Byline: Glennda Chui

SAN JOSE, Calif. _ The only good whale is a dead whale _ at least from the standpoint of two of the weirdest creatures known to science, which make a living devouring whale bones on the floor of Monterey Bay in California.

They're worms, but they look almost like plants, sending roots deep into whale skeletons to suck out nutritious fats and oils. They're full of bacteria that help them digest this bounty.

And the female worms, which are an inch or two long, harbor dozens of microscopic males inside their bodies _ 111 of them, in one case. The males are little more than sacks of sperm. They have no way to eat, but live off ...

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