How dangerous is the worm appearing in Vung Tau beach?

Fireworms belong to a group of dangerous organisms, with a silk undercoat containing toxins, irritants, skin lesions, they eat snails and clams.

Many people today, people in the beach in Vung Tau appear a species of deep sea, body longer than 5 cm, hairy outside, if touched very itchy. Some swim in suspension, or go under the sand and drift to shore for many kilometers in Bai Sau Beach (Vung Tau).

According to Dr. Tran Manh Ha, Department of Marine Ecology and Resources, Institute of Marine Environment and Resources, this may be a species of silk worms , scientific name Chloeia parva of Amphinomidae family , commonly known by the name "fire worms", "sea worms" or "sea worms."

Mr. Ha also said: "The fact that this fire worm appears along the coast is not due to polluted environment, but this is the period of their reproduction and thriving. This species often grows and thrives when water begins to warm up in the spring and summer is the breeding period. "

Deep people caught in Vung Tau sea. (Photo: Truong Ha).

This species of fireworm is distributed mainly in the Indian-Western Pacific waters, including Vietnam. They usually live in tidal areas of mud, sand or coral reefs. Food is mostly meat, so they actively hunt for animals that are not able to move or move slowly like corals, sponges, snails, clams .

The remarkable feature of this group of worms is that the undercoat of calcium is very brittle and contains toxins . "When exposed to them, the fuzz serves as a needle will plug into the flesh and release toxins, causing pain and itching very uncomfortable , " Dr. Ha said. He said, to reduce the extent of contact damage, you can use tape to cover the burned skin and then remove it, then the hair of the worm will be pulled. In addition, using alcohol or vinegar or lemon to wash wounds can also help reduce pain and swelling.

Currently, Vietnamese scientists have studied the morphology of fireworms, but experts believe that there should be more basic and comprehensive studies on this dangerous group of organisms.