Wire report
Stuff of nightmares? Meet the bootlace worm – super-long, super-elastic, and it fires toxic slime
Its mucus, which can kill crabs and cockroaches, could be the basis of new insecticides It’s the shuddery stuff of nightmares for some, but for a select group who admire extending ladders, giraffes and the Odyssey, one of the longest animals in the world is bound to appeal. This creature is nneither the blue whale, nor a lion’s mane jellyfish but the humble bootlace worm, Lineus longissimus , one of the most remarkable marine invertebrates of them all. It’s invertebrate of the year again! From 3-12 August, every day we will profile one of the thousands of amazing invertebrates that our readers have nominated. And then, when you’ve heard about all of them, we’ll open the voting so you can choose your favourites. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with thoughts and ideas: email us at environment.desk@theguardian.com with Invertebrate in the subject line. Continue reading...
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Its mucus, which can kill crabs and cockroaches, could be the basis of new insecticides It’s the shuddery stuff of nightmares for some, but for a select group who admire extending ladders, giraffes and the Odyssey, one of the longest animals in the world is bound to appeal. This creature is nneither the blue whale, nor a lion’s mane jellyfish but the humble bootlace worm, Lineus longissimus , one of the most remarkable marine invertebrates of them all. It’s invertebrate of the year again! From 3-12 August, every day we will profile one of the thousands of amazing invertebrates that our readers have nominated. And then, when you’ve heard about all of them, we’ll open the voting so you can choose your favourites. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with thoughts and ideas: email us at environment.desk@theguardian.com with Invertebrate in the subject line. Continue reading...
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According to The Guardian’s linked report, Stuff of nightmares? Meet the bootlace worm – super-long, super-elastic, and it fires toxic slime, Its mucus, which can kill crabs and cockroaches, could be the basis of new insecticides It’s the shuddery stuff of nightmares for some, but for a select group who admire extending ladders, giraffes and the Odyssey, one of the longest animals in the world is bound to appeal. This creature is nneither the blue whale, nor a lion’s mane jellyfish but the humble bootlace worm, Lineus longissimus , one of the most remarkable marine invertebrates of them all. It’s invertebrate of the year again! From 3-12 August, every day we will profile one of the thousands of amazing invertebrates that our readers have nominated. And then, when you’ve heard about all of them, we’ll open the voting so you can choose your favourites. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with thoughts and ideas: email us at environment.desk@theguardian.com with Invertebrate in the subject line. Continue reading…
Context
The development sits in VINI’s Global coverage for readers following international affairs, institutions, conflict, diplomacy, economics, and cross-border consequences. The original report is linked so readers can check the source account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The linked report is dated 2026-08-10T11:00:43+00:00.
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Source
Primary source: Stuff of nightmares? Meet the bootlace worm – super-long, super-elastic, and it fires toxic slime via The Guardian. VINI cites and links the source; it does not reproduce the publisher’s full article text without rights clearance.
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- Stuff of nightmares? Meet the bootlace worm – super-long, super-elastic, and it fires toxic slimeThe Guardian - 2026-08-10T11:00:43+00:00
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