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 not 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...

By Patrick Barkham