| Paralvinella sulfincola | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Clade: | Pleistoannelida |
| Clade: | Sedentaria |
| Order: | Terebellida |
| Family: | Alvinellidae |
| Genus: | Paralvinella |
| Species: | P. sulfincola
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| Binomial name | |
| Paralvinella sulfincola Desbruyères & Laubier, 1993
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Paralvinella sulfincola, also known as the Sulfide worm, is a species of polychaete worm of the Alvinellidae family that thrives on undersea hot-water vents. It dwells within tubes in waters surrounding hydrothermal vents, in close proximity to super-heated fluids reaching over 300 °C (572 °F). The upper thermal limit for this polychaete is unknown; however, it is unlikely they can survive in constant temperatures over 50 °C (122 °F). It may tentatively be named a metazoan extremophile or, more specifically, a thermophile.
Their unique abilities to withstand high temperatures close to hydrothermal fluids enables them to prey upon sulphur-oxidising bacterial mats which grow close to the metal rich vent plume.