Whale skeletons on the seafloor get consumed by worms with no mouth, stomach or gut
When a dead whale sinks to the deep seafloor, it's colonized within months by Osedax worms, tiny tube-dwelling creatures first described in 2004 that have no mouth, stomach or anus at all. Instead, root-like structures bore directly into the bone, hosting symbiotic bacteria that break down its fats and oils, which the worm then absorbs straight through its tissue. A single whale fall can sustain a thriving, bone-eating mini-ecosystem on the seafloor for years or even decades.