noun
beard worm; pogonophoran
A rare zoological term for any worm of the phylum Pogonophora, deep-sea tube worms with beard-like tentacles. Usually written in katakana as ヒゲムシ.
See also: 有鬚動物
ヒゲムシは深海の熱水噴出孔の近くに生息している。
Beard worms live near deep-sea hydrothermal vents.
この図鑑にはヒゲムシの詳しい生態
This field guide contains detailed information on the ecology of beard worms.
有鬚動物 is the formal taxonomic name for the phylum Pogonophora, while ヒゲムシ is the common Japanese name for individual beard worms.
From 鬚 (ひげ, 'beard') + 虫 (むし, 'worm, insect'), referring to the beard-like tentacles of these worms. The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning.