At some vents lives the curious little worm, Alvinella pompejana. Discovered in the early 1980s by French scientists, the Pompeii worm is about 4 inches long with tentacle-like, scarlet gills on its ...

While most of us are desperately reaching for the nearest fan or AC remote during heatwaves, there are animals out there that don’t just survive scorching temperatures — they actually thrive in them.

Pompeii Worm Credit: Reddit A few inches from scalding hydrothermal vents, the Pompeii worm manages to stay alive in water that reaches 80°C (176°F).

If you look closely at the lower right-hand quadrant of this photo, you can see a Pompeii worm extending its dark-red feathery head and paler body from its tube home. The worm is about 4 inches long.