6 inch orange worm

[CadetMKultra]

On my ship this summer, someone fishing pulled up this crazy worm from the bottom of the sea neer Gibraltar. We threw it back, I took these pictures. Realize that this was in the middle of the night, so the quality is poor. It was orange, and about 6 inches long.

These are the least fuzzy pics I got.

 

[LeslieH]

From the picture the worm looks rigid. Was it? If so, it could be the peduncule (anchor & stalk portion) of a sea pen. Soft, it might be a nemertean (ribbon worm), sipunculan (peanut worm) or an enteropneust (acorn worm). From the color I'd guess nemertean or enteropneust.

 

[mscarpena]

Cool, but I have no idea what it is.

 

[CadetMKultra]

It was firm/turgid. It felt like asparagus. Kind of looked like it too. It didn't seem to be just a part of something. It was intact, except for the whole where the fish hook had stuck it. Tough and leathery.

 

[LeslieH]

I'd go with stalk of a sea pen. Maybe the head got broken or eaten off and the wound had already closed up.

 

[CadetMKultra]

cool