C. elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans
C. elegans is a microscopic roundworm that lives in soil, compost, and rotting plant material where bacteria are abundant. It feeds by pumping bacteria and other microbes into its pharynx rather than hunting larger prey. It moves with rapid side-to-side undulations through thin films of moisture and tiny spaces between soil particles. This species is famous as a model organism in biology, with a mapped nervous system and a mostly transparent body that lets researchers watch development in detail.
- Type
- Burrow
- Conservation status
- NE