‘Worst nightmare’ venomous sea worms washing up on Texas shores, scientists say

Author of the article:

Washington Post

Ben Brasch, The Washington Post

Published Aug 29, 2024  •  3 minute read

Jace Tunnell with the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies holds up a fireworm he caught this week in Corpus Christi, Texas. (Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies)

If you have your life together and worry for nothing, sorry to tell you: Venomous sea worms are washing up on Texas beaches, and, if touched, they’ll make you feel like your skin is on fire.

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The bristle worms – known to scientists as Amphinome rostrata – have recently found themselves along the Texas coast, according to the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. A scientist at the institute who found one said he hasn’t seen them in three to four years.

An April 14 Facebook post from the Institute calmly laid out the situation: “WARNING!!! Your worst nightmares are washing up right now in the form of fireworms!”

Marine bristle worms are found all over the world, from the Gulf Coast of Texas to the scuba-diving haven known as the Poor Knights Islands, located east of the Tutukākā coast in New Zealand, according to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).

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The worms were first described 250 years ago by Prussian naturalist Peter Simon Pallas on page 106 of his 1766 Latin book “Miscellanea Zoologica,” according to NIWA. They can grow to be about eight inches long.

Each worm is composed of 60 to 150 different segments covered by hollow bristles that easily get stuck in human skin and deposit painful venom, said Jace Tunnell, the institute’s director of community engagement.

The worms live between two and a half and nine years, he said. They reproduce sexually and asexually, meaning, as he put it, “I could cut this thing in half and it could regrow.” Their predators are fish and crabs.

Each one of the 28 different species of the marine bristle worm can hurt humans, he said.

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Tunnell told viewers that he has never felt the wrath but understands that the venom can also cause dizziness in addition to searing pain. If anyone is unlucky enough, he suggests quickly covering the problem area with tape and then ripping off the tape to remove the bristles. Then, like with a jellyfish, he says to wash the area with white vinegar and warm water.

But, bad news: “It’s gonna be painful no matter what.”

Tunnell talked about the Texas fire worms in a YouTube video after finding one along the Gulf Coast in Texas on a log covered in the gooseneck barnacles the worms feed on.

The next video YouTube’s algorithm suggested was lighter on the science and heavier on the drama from a channel named Brave Wilderness that has earned 21.5 million subscribers. The gimmick: Two guys get attacked and stung by venomous and dangerous animals from all over the world, allegedly under the supervision of trained professionals.

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Mark Vins delivers a pained performance in a video titled “BURNED by a Giant Fireworm!” After nine minutes of talking in the YouTube cadence de rigueur, Vins brushes a fire worm on his arm and quickly starts having a bad time. The veins in his neck sticking out like the bristles in his arm, he describes the pain through gritted teeth. After talking for a bit, he uses the tape and says he feels immediate relief.

A month later, he said later in the video that the pain would come rushing back whenever he even began to sweat. He said he has scarring on his arm.

Using the very proprietary Brave Wilderness “Bite/Sting Index” rating scale (which is based on intimidation, pain and aftermath), Vins rated it a 9 out of 10.

So, if you don’t trust the scientist, trust the YouTuber and don’t touch these worms.

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