Turbatrix aceti

Turbatrix aceti (vinegar eels, vinegar nematode, Anguillula aceti) are free-living nematodes that feed on a microbial culture called mother of vinegar (used to create vinegar) and may be found in unfiltered vinegar. They were discovered by Pierre Borel in 1656.^[1]

Vinegar eels
Illustration of vinegar eels
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Nematoda
Class:	Secernentea
Order:	Tylenchida
Family:	Panagrolaimidae
Genus:	Turbatrix
Species:	T. aceti
Binomial name
Turbatrix aceti (Müller, 1783)
Synonyms
Anguillula aceti

They are exceptionally tolerant of variation in acidity and alkalinity and they may be able to tolerate a wider range than any other species, being able to survive from pH 1.6 to 11.^[2]

Vinegar eels are often given to fry (baby fish) as a live food, like microworms.^[1][3] Although they are harmless and non-parasitic, leaving eels in vinegar is considered objectionable (for example, in the United States they are not permitted in vinegar destined for American consumers).^[4] Manufacturers normally filter and pasteurize their product prior to bottling, destroying the live bacterial and yeast culture that these nematodes require for sustenance.

At high concentration near a boundary, vinegar eels synchronize their undulations, forming a collective wave.^[5][6]

Aging in T. aceti is associated with a decline in the ability to repair DNA damage,^[7][8] a finding that is consistent with the theory that DNA damage contributes to aging.^[9]