During this time, bacteria enter through the mouth and gut, so they have stores. As the tubeworm grows, the mouth and gut disappear.

These long, lean worms can grow up to 8 feet long. Like the bottom half of a tube of lipstick, the worms’ tube is tough. This is where the worm makes its home. The tube is white, and made of the toughest natural material in the ocean called chitin (pronounced “kite-in”).