MUSTANG ISLAND, Texas (KXAN) — Beachgoers have something new to keep an eye out for before heading to Texas beaches this summer: fireworms.
“Your worst nightmares are washing up right now in the form of fireworms!” a Facebook post from the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies said.
Texas A&M researchers said a few painful worms were found recently on Mustang Island and Padre Island. The fireworms were found on logs with barnacles, which the fireworms may have been feeding on.
The worms are “rare to find unless you know where to look,” researchers said in a comment.
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Fireworm in the water (Courtesy Jace Tunnell/Harte Research Institute) -
Fireworm on barnacles (Courtesy Jace Tunnell/Harte Research Institute) -
Fireworm on Mustang Island (Courtesy Jace Tunnell/Harte Research Institute) -
Fireworm in a glass (Courtesy Jace Tunnell/Harte Research Institute) -
Fireworm on Padre Island (Courtesy Jace Tunnell/Harte Research Institute)
Fireworms, also called bearded fireworms, are bright-colored marine bristle worms found in almost all parts of the ocean, according to the Ocean Conservancy.
They are covered in bristles that work as a defense mechanism and embed into the skin of whatever touches it. The bristles have toxins that create a burning sensation that lasts up to a few hours, according to the Ocean Conservancy.