Scientists have discovered seven new species of deep-sea worms in the Pacific. The worms, members of a new genus, Swima, are up to about four inches long, eyeless and have paddlelike bristles that move rapidly, allowing them to swim forward or backward.

That’s all very interesting, but what makes the worms truly spectacular are the little green glow sticks that are found on five of the species. Attached to segments near the head, these tiny organs  more blobs than sticks, actually  can be released from the body, instantly producing a bright green bioluminescence that lasts for many seconds as the worms swim away. The researchers refer to the worms colloquially as green bombers and say the phenomenon may help them distract potential predators.

Image One of the first "green bombers" of the new Swima genus collected from Monterey Bay. Credit... S.H.D. Haddock

Using remotely operated submersibles, Karen J. Osborn of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and colleagues from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and other organizations found the worms at depths of about 6,000 to 12,500 feet off Mexico, California and Oregon and near the Philippines. Their report is published in the journal Science.