The Bobbit Worm was Named After Lorena Bobbitt

The bobbit worm is among nature's most dreadful critters. The Bobbit is blind and brainless and has an appearance that not even a mother could adore. The Smithsonian claims that the vivid worm, which lives on coral reefs, has sharp, bristly teeth that resemble harpoons and function as hooks to puncture and immobilise unwary fish. Only its head is visible as the ambush hunter buries itself deep in the sand of the ocean.

This subsurface worm of the deep ocean waits to ambush prey that lands on top of it. Although most are between two and four feet in length, they can grow to be three metres long. Their nearly 90 degree open mandibles snap close quickly enough to split their prey in half as they pull it through the mud and dirt. They also have bristles that can burn and possibly leave you permanently paralysed.

Despite its creepiness, a bobbit worm's name may be the most repulsive aspect of it. They were given that name in honour of Lorena Bobbitt, who made headlines in 1993 by infamously severing her violent husband's penis with a knife. For obvious, unpleasant reasons, the worm and the name are related.