Images shared by an Australian diver on February 23, in a social media group ignited a debate about the unusual appearance of a marine worm found in the depths of the ocean.
According to scientific classification, the animal belongs to the phylum priapulida, a name that comes from the Greek Priapus, meaning phallic god.
In the publication, four images of the intimidating marine worm appear, which have a questionable shape and has made many people, particularly the human male population, feel threatened.
Currently, only about 16 species of Priapula have been classified, by using fossil evidence that dates back to the Cambrian. These manly man worms are predators, hunting down slow-moving animals, particularly other worms.
“Never in my wildest dreams would I ever think that people would be interested in these photo’s, but they’ve gone viral. I actually avoided sharing it, as I thought it may be considered a bit rude,” joked Josie Jones, author of the the phallic worm images.
