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International Business Times
International Business Times
Science
Ella IDE

Bearded Fireworm Stalks Shallows As Mediterranean Warms

Fireworms are native to the Mediterranean, but they used to be fewer in number and only spotted off Sicily in summer (Credit: AFP)

The fish in Alfonso Barone's net are hauled aboard off Sicily half- eaten, ravaged by bearded fireworms, a voracious predator flourishing in the increasingly warm Mediterranean sea.

The centipede-like creatures, around 15 to 30 centimetres (6-12 inches) long, devour everything from coral to the dying or dead catch in fishing nets -- and rising sea temperatures caused by climate change are drastically boosting their numbers.

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