The longest animal in the world - a tapeworm

This worm can reach a length of about sixty meters, which is twice the length of a blue whale and a third longer than the longest hairy jellyfish, the previous record holder.

Tapeworms can be expanded from one end of the Olympic swimming pool to the other - and still have a little in reserve.

Tapeworms belong to the group of lower worms nemerteans (from the Greek Nemertes, «sea nymph"). Today we know more than a thousand species, most of which - the sea. They are long and thin that even the longest tapeworm may be only a few millimeters in diameter.

Many sources claim that the tapeworm reaches only 30 m, and therefore, does not quite live up to the hairy jellyfish. However, the latest information suggests extraordinary ability tapeworms stretch in length. So, in a few cases have been recorded instances, whose length is "full-length" was more than 50 m.

Judging by the age of fossils, tapeworm lives in the world, at least 500 million years.

Source: www.bustersmyth.ru

via factroom.ru