Bundle Raion

*Raion bundle*. A colony of worms dwelling in hard mineral tubes.

1. Mixed strategy The bundle contains several different strains of worm. Each strain plays a specialized role in the bundle—soldier, forager, or structural reinforcement. Each worm builds its own tube, but a single queen worm generates all the eggs.

2. Breakpoint The scanned specimen was snapped off by mechanical force.

3. Bamboozled? The structure and growth rate of the bundle resemble Earth's bamboo. Patterns in the scanned specimen suggest that it has grown as fast as a meter a day in the recent past, feasting on high levels of dissolved carbon dioxide.

4. Haiku A family of worms Drinks life from the carbon wind Quartz cup holds new light

Assessment: possible crop species. Important carbon sink for climate regulation.