When faced with a shortage of food, tiny nematode worms have a fascinating strategy – they come together to form towers, creating a superorganism that can bridge gaps and even hitch a ride on larger animals. This intriguing behavior has been studied in detail by biologists at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany, led by Serena Ding.
These towers, which have been observed in worms like Caenorhabditis elegans, are more likely to form when there are large numbers of worms, limited food supply, and a structure for them to congregate on, such as a toothbrush bristle used in the experiments. While towers can form without physical support, they are more stable and can reach heights of up to 11mm when a base is provided.
Interestingly, these towers can extend like tentacles, reaching out to nearby surfaces to form bridges that allow the worms to traverse wider gaps than they could individually. They can also grab onto objects that come into contact with them, potentially hitching a ride to new locations.
A “tower” of nematode worms growing on a rotting apple
Perez et al. Current Biology (2025)
The team also observed these towers in the wild, on rotting apples in an orchard near the institute. They found that the towers are formed by a single species of worms, regardless of the presence of other species, and can consist of worms at any stage of their life cycle. This behavior was previously thought to be exclusive to a specific larval stage.
While nematode worm towers are unique, there are similar superorganisms in nature, such as slime moulds, which can come together to form larger bodies that move as a collective in search of food. These findings shed light on the fascinating behaviors and strategies employed by these tiny but resourceful organisms.
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