It appears earthworms may also be marsworms!

(Science Alert) Good news, aspiring Martian farmers! The soil composition of Mars oughtn’t hinder earthworm reproduction, if experiments here on Earth are any indication.

Using simulated Mars soil developed by NASA, researchers added rucola (also known as rocket or arugula) plants, manure fertiliser and earthworms – and found that not only did the worms thrive, but they’ve now produced their first offspring.

“Clearly the manure stimulated growth, especially in the Mars soil simulant, and we saw that the worms were active,” said lead researcher and biologist Wieger Wamelink of Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands.

“However, the best surprise came at the end of the experiment when we found two young worms in the Mars soil simulant.”

This is good news for those future Mars colonists that want to go fishing in the canals.