bone-eating snot flower worm

Definition

A worm-like creature, Osedax mucofloris, that feeds on the carcasses of minke whales in the North Sea.

Etymology

A slight misunderstanding of the taxonomic name Osedax mucofloris, which actually means "snot-flower bone-eater", with mucofloris modifying Osedax rather than the other way around.

Example Sentences

• "Bone-eating snot flower (Osedax mucofloris) is the unglamorous name given to a species of worm discovered feeding off minke whale carcasses in the North Sea"
• "Once all the meat has been stripped away, even the bones provide food for a creature called the "bone-eating snot flower worm" (Osedax mucofloris)."
• "Known informally as the bone-eating snot-flower worm, it looks like a frilly pink plume growing up out of sheer bone"