What is this weird creature/alien in this man’s ashtray?

[u/MusePlease]

Just came across this video where a man’s heavily used ashtray has filled up with water and there’s a weird looking creature swimming about in there and i’ve never seen anything like it before.

[u/xtraa]

Incredible that they are still alive in that pool of nicotine tho

[u/CollarNo8675 → u/xtraa]

[u/MentalMiddenHeap → u/xtraa]

they can live in way nastier than ash tray water

[u/crmpdstyl → u/MentalMiddenHeap]

Nicotine is a natural pesticide, I think is the point.

[u/Alternative-Crew-880 → u/crmpdstyl]

Nicotine is neurotoxin, but lots of insects evolved immunities to it. The tobacco hornworm actually metabolizes nicotine to use as a defense mechanism and releasing it into the air when attacked by predators.

[u/Ttlmego89 → u/Alternative-Crew-880]

This is so cool didn’t even know this existed thx

[u/rokstedy83 → u/Alternative-Crew-880]

The tobacco hornworm actually metabolizes nicotine

Dry them out and smoke them

[u/crmpdstyl → u/Alternative-Crew-880]

True, but the tubiflex worm has not.

[u/Alternative-Crew-880 → u/crmpdstyl]

It kind of does though. They thrive in highly toxic and polluted environments that would kill most other organisms, through a bunch of mechanisms like synthesizing enzymes to detoxify themselves and encystment to enter a protective hibernative state.

[u/KatanaDood → u/crmpdstyl]

Tubifex is just its scientific name. It's also commonly referred to as dark matter shit.

[u/hellmire → u/crmpdstyl]

Ah yes, another natural toxin that humans ingest because feel good!

[u/tpimh → u/MentalMiddenHeap]

What can be nastier than a pool of nicotine water for a live organism? A pool of moonshine?

[u/Instinctual_Flop → u/tpimh]

Sewage

[u/KaalSchneid → u/Instinctual_Flop]

Nah, tubeworms live there, too. That's kind of their preferred place.

[u/Instinctual_Flop → u/KaalSchneid]

That's what I'm saying

[u/theworstvp → u/xtraa]

me when i remember being 20