Good news! On this very day, you, Ai-chan's dear friends, get to put your name on a new species! Rejoice! Here's the main features of the creature: 1. Short (adults reach only 5 cm long and 3 milimeter wide), segmented body 2. Reproduces asexually via eggs, which can amount to 10,000 eggs at a time 3. Have suction points under the body in three lines for movement, which also assists in 'swimming' under water 4. Does not breathe air 5. Consumes water and rust and releases ferrous oxide, hydrogen, oxygen and water vapour as byproduct following the equation: 2(Fe203) + 4(H20) => 4(FeO) + 2(H2) + 2(O2) + 2(H20) 2 Iron (III) Oxide + 4 Water => 4 Ferrous Oxide + 2 Hydrogen + 2 Oxygen + 2 Water (What? Your inner chemistry nerd is screaming? You have something to say about this equation? Come at Ai-chan) 6. Looks like a worm, eats like a worm. 7. Byproduct is released through the same hole, so it can't eat and expel at the same time. 8. Some of the hydrogen and water is kept inside its body, making it very light and can spread by wind but explodes when exposed to heat. 9. Releases a chemical which coats the eggs and protects it from low vacuum, but has a side effect of making humans who accidentally consume this chemical unable to absorb minerals in the gut similar to phytic acid. Obviously, this is a fantasy creature. You're not making history, but it's fun to participate and throw ideas around, don't you think? Ai-chan was thinking of something along the line of 'strife' because the worm caused 80% of the colony's population to die in a month. If you have to ask, this 'martian worm' is a plot device for Ai-chan's CYOA story, "My Brother Is An Analist".
Would also second rustworm as a common name but their more scientific name should include Annelid or Polychaete. On a side note, depending on the ammount of "waste" these critters produce, they could be farmed for fuel (hydrogen). Gas giants might be more practical source, but the segmented rustworms could also lead to tentacled horrors after some poor fool tried to enhance their efficiency fuel production. xD
So... something like this? Ai-chan is quite afraid Ai-chan has broken the taxonomy rules somewhere, but Ai-chan can't remember much about high school biology lessons. After all, that's been decades ago. Basically, Ai-chan copied the earthworm taxonomy all the way to Order. From Family onward, Ai-chan invented them. Family Ferruginisciae is because it has something to do with iron. Species Hecatus is because it's found in the molten ice near Hecates Tholus. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Annelida Class: Clitellata Subclass: Oligochaeta Order: Opisthopora Family: Ferruginisciae Genus: Ferruginis Species: Hecatus So the common name would be 'Rustworm' while the scientific name would be 'Ferruginis Hecatus'. Any biologists or Latin speakers want to have a poke at it? Best you poke at it now than when Ai-chan has started writing it. It would be a pain in the anus to change it once everything is written.