Bacteria farms Scientists found a vent worm that lives in tubes on the sides of scalding black-smoker chimneys. These worms are called Alvinella pompejana (named partly after Alvin), or “Pompeii” worms. They may survive for short periods of time in vent water with temperatures up to 80°C (175°F). Scientists think the worms stay near the sulfur-rich vent fluids to encourage chemosynthetic bacteria to grow on them. The worms use their own bodies like “farms” to grow bacteria that they “harvest” and eat! But the bacteria get something, too. The worms give the bacteria a cozy surface to grow on. Such a cooperative relationship between two organisms is called symbiosis. And one of the weirdest kinds of symbiosis was discovered in the red-plumed tubeworms, which initially mystified scientists because it had no mouth or stomach. How did it eat?