The lessons invertebrate zoologist Karen Osborn learns from the tiny worms may have robotic implications Megan Kalomiris Cirratulidae polychaete worms are covered in tangled strands of external gills.

“To describe this polychaete [a type of segmented marine worm], one simply must use jazz hands — it is the only way to capture this deep-sea worm’s dazzle!” they wrote. Accompanying ...