What Do Tube Worms Do

The tubes help protect the worms from the toxic vent chemicals and from predators such as crabs and fish. Tubeworms do not eat. They have neither a mouth nor a stomach. Instead, billions of symbiotic bacteria living inside the tubeworms produce sugars from carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and oxygen.

Why are tube worms important?

Certain species (e.g., tube worms and mussels) can establish a symbiotic relationship with these bacteria and not only survive, but thrive in deep sea seeps. These populations may provide the basis for diverse community in the seep environment.

What are tube worms eaten by?

Few deep sea creatures such as deep sea crabs and shrimps, large brown mussels and giant clams are predators of giant tube worms (they feed on plumes).