The bootlace worm: a 55-meter elastic predator that shoots toxic slime
The bootlace worm (Lineus longissimus) can reach extraordinary lengths, with rare reports of up to 55 meters and a typical length around 15 meters. When threatened, it releases a poisonous mucus containing alpha-nemertides that paralyze crabs and can kill insects, a potential source for new insecticides, highlighting this remarkable nemertean as a formidable, though overlooked, marine predator.