Blood Worms

[Tempestuousfury]

3 questions.

Why are they red? (blood or something else?)

If a fish were to suck out just this red "color" and not eat the worms, how much of the nutrients would it actually consume?

Do the fish have to eat the worms to get all the nutrients?

 

[Lateral Line]

They are red because they manufacture hæmoglobin, the same pigment found in our red blood cells.

The pigment itself is not particulaly nutritious, so if they could seperate it out it, (difficult), they would not get the same nutriotional value from the food. The roughage from the worms is useful to the gut as well.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Hmmm.

My puffers aren't always able to consume the body, though they are able to suck out the hemoglobin. Well, I'll see what happens as they get bigger.

Thanks.