Several Texas beachgoers fled in horror after discovering that a "nasty" venomous worm had joined them for fun in the sun.
Scientifically known as Amphinome rostrata, the poisonous little critters have begun appearing on several beaches of the Lone Star State, The Sunday Times reported.
Since the critters have been discovered , the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi has issued a warning to potential beachgoers that "your worst nightmares" are up ahead. "WARNING!!! Your worst nightmares are washing up right now in the form of fireworms," the research group said in an August Facebook post.
"We’ve found a few of these marine polychaetes, sometimes called bristle worms, washing up over the past couple of days on large logs," the post continued. "The logs these were found on had gooseneck barnacles all over them, which might have been what the worms were feeding on."
The fireworms get their name because of the pain they inflict on anyone that dares to touch them; it literally feels like fire for about three hours," the group added saying that depending on where a person is stung, they "can feel sensitive" for weeks. "The white bristles coming off each segment of the worm are hollow filled with neurotoxin and they break off when you touch them."
According to the research group, the worms are feeding on crustaceans like barnacles. "They are found in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and of course the Gulf of Mexico," the post said. While the Texas siting accounts for most of the fireworm sightings, in 2022, some residents in North Carolina have claimed to have sighted the worm.
Jace Tunnell, the director of community engagement at the Harte Research Institute, told The Washington Post that the worms can reproduce in a sexual or asexual manner. “I could cut this thing in half and it could regrow,” Tunnell said to the outlet adding that each of the deadly worms comprises 60 to 150 segments that are covered by the easily-embedded bristles. “They’re actually really cool animals.”
According to the community engagement director, he has never felt the fiery vengeance of the worm himself but understands that the venom can also cause dizziness in addition to searing pain. Tunnell told the outlet that, should anyone ever be stung by the animal, they should cover the area with tape and then rip it off as to remove the poisonous bristles. Then, as one should do with a jellyfish sting, he says to wash the area with white vinegar and warm water. Sadly, Tunnell stated: “It’s gonna be painful no matter what.”
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) has claimed that the worms have reportedly traveled through history as they were allegedly described by Prussian naturalist Peter Simon Pallas over 250 years ago as a part of his Miscellanea Zoologica . In the book, Pallas said the species can grow to be about eight inches long.
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