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]
Their environment makes them 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]
AginginT. 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]
^Targovnik HS, Locher SE, Hart TF, Hariharan PV. Age-related changes in the excision repair capacity of Turbatrix aceti. Mech Ageing Dev. 1984 Sep;27(1):73-81. doi: 10.1016/0047-6374(84)90083-6. PMID 6492888
^Targovnik HS, Locher SE, Hariharan PV. Age associated alteration in DNA damage and repair capacity in Turbatrix aceti exposed to ionizing radiation. Int J Radiat Biol Relat Stud Phys Chem Med. 1985 Mar;47(3):255-60. doi: 10.1080/09553008514550381. PMID 3872278
^Gensler HL, Bernstein H. DNA damage as the primary cause of aging. Q Rev Biol. 1981 Sep;56(3):279-303. doi: 10.1086/412317. PMID 7031747
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