User:Abostick95/Mesenchytraeus

Taxonomy
Mesenchytraeus Solifugus also known as ice worms or ice-worms are annelids. Ice worms were first reported on Muir Glacier in Alaska. Solifugus means (sun avoider) which can describe their behavior in different aspects of sunlight. Phylogeny suggests that they evolved from an aquatic ancestor due to the other members in the order.

Description
Ice worms are predominantly small and are the only known psychrophilic annelids. Adult ice worms are approximately 1.5- 2.5 cm in length. They live their entire lives in snow/ ice. Dark in color, usually a dark-brown or black, the ice worm’s color is thought to be an adaptation that helps protect it from radiation on the glacier.

Ice worms have an elongated head pore, multiple sensing organs which are located on their prostomium and ventral surface. These organs are responsible for chemo-, thermo, and photorecpetion. However, they do however lack eyes or eyespots. They also have setae that are differentiated from other related organisms because they curve at the end. All of these structures may aid the organism in its ability to survive in glacial environments.

Little is known about the life cycle of the ice worm; it is thought to be unusually slow. It requires temperatures of 0°C for a successful reproduction. Cocoons are dispersed by birds. Ice worms cannot leave where they are. A lot is not known about the ice worm diet but it is thought that eat snow algae as well as some bacteria.

Habitat
Ice worms have evolved a mechanism for surviving on snow and glacial ice. Ice worms can be found west of North America. They inhabit glaciers and can be found in snowfields, avalanche cones, and glacier rivers and pools. These environments have freezing-point temperatures and are nutrient poor. The organisms require permanent glacial environments for survival and reproduction.

Ice worms have also been found in glaciers in southern Alaska and in certain parts of British Columbia. They are very abundant (about 100 per sq m). Though they are found in snowfields rivers and pools populations are never found near dirty snow or rock.

Behavior
The ice worms display a diurnal cycle appearing on the glacier's surfaces before sunset and they enter back into the glacier when the sunrises. It has been shown that they enter back into the glacier beneath the surface algae. They are extremely active in the late spring. light levels determine the movements of these organisms. Like other oligochaetes that avoid strong radiation and are attracted to dim light, this may explain their behavior for rising before the sunsets. Their pigment is what helps protect them from radiation.

Ice worms increase their energy levels as temperatures decrease and they tend to become lethargic as temperatures rise and they “melt” at room temperatures. This is caused by the liquefaction of their membranes. Ice worms are most active at 0°C. They freeze at a temperature of -6.8°C and self destruct at a continuous temperature of 5°C. Their metabolisms have adapted to cold temperatures. They can penetrate the glacier burrowing several feet down until they reach an area that is temperature favorable.

They move on the surface of ice at 3m/h and get through snow by moving through the grains. Lateral movement is usually along the surface of the glacier and they penetrate the glacier vertically. They have also been known to anchor themselves in glacial ice during times of runoff.

Scientific Studies
Ice worms produce increasing amounts of adenosine triphosphate(ATP) as the temperature in their environment drops. This adaptation is how they are above to survive in glacier ice. Respiratory rates generally decrease as temperature decreases. For most organisms exposure to temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius causes their metabolic rates to fail and for cells to not function properly.

Antifreeze proteins of ice worms are studied for surgeries where organs have to be kept cold. Funded by NASA and NIH for research purposes.