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Tube This hard cylinder, which varies in thickness between and even within species of tubeworm, is basically like the shell of a lobster or crab. (Scientists call it a "chitin proteoglycan/protein complex.") It grows as the worm grows, providing a safe home for the animal. The delicate plume, which is the tubeworm's only exposed part, can be retracted into the tube at a moment's notice, such as when a hungry fish happens by, hoping to nibble the plume. |