In a William & Mary lab tank, a ribbon worm named Baseodiscus the Eldest has been quietly eating peanut worms in the mud for more than 20 years, and genetic analysis in 2024 confirmed his species while the tank record puts him at roughly 30 years old — the oldest ribbon worm ever recorded

A three-foot ribbon worm in a William & Mary lab tank, identified by 2024 genetic analysis as Baseodiscus punnetti, has been confirmed as the oldest nemertean ever recorded — roughly 30 years old, exceeding prior lab estimates for the phylum by an order of magnitude. The post In a William & Mary lab tank, a ribbon worm named Baseodiscus the Eldest has been quietly eating peanut worms in the mud for more than 20 years, and genetic analysis in 2024 confirmed his species while the tank record puts