About Escarpia spicata

Escarpia spicata is a species of tube worm in the family Siboglinidae. It is commonly found in deep-sea cold seep ecosystems along the eastern Pacific Ocean, particularly off the coast of California and Mexico. These tube worms thrive in environments where hydrocarbons, such as methane and hydrogen sulfide, seep out of the seafloor. It relies entirely on a symbiotic relationship with sulfide-oxidizing bacteria for its nutrition. These bacteria reside in a specialized organ called the trophosome, located within the worm's body. The worm absorbs hydrogen sulfide and oxygen from the surrounding environment and delivers them to the bacteria via a highly efficient hemoglobin molecule. In return, the bacteria oxidize the sulfide to produce organic compounds that sustain the worm.


Basic Information
SpeciesPhylumCommon NameEcosystemDepthHabitatNCBI Taxonomy ID
Escarpia spicataAnnelida-Cold seep1,650-3,314Atlantic Ocean53617

Genome Assembly Information
Genome AssemblyGenome SizeAssembly levelReleased yearWGS accessionSubmitterBioProjectBUSCO completenessGene Number
wsEscSpic3.11.1GbChromosome2024CAXEFP01WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTEPRJEB74003--
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