
This connects Claude to the World Register of Marine Species, the authoritative taxonomic database for ocean life. It's part of Pipeworx's gateway network offering keyless access to 808+ data sources. The server runs over streamable HTTP and includes an ask_pipeworx tool that handles natural language queries without needing to know specific tool names or parameters. Useful when you're building marine biology applications, validating species names, looking up taxonomic hierarchies, or need programmatic access to WoRMS data without managing API keys. You can use it standalone or through the full Pipeworx gateway for broader data access.
WoRMS (World Register of Marine Species) MCP — keyless.
Part of Pipeworx — an MCP gateway connecting AI agents to 1476+ live data sources.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
search_species | Resolve a marine species or genus name to its WoRMS AphiaID, accepted name, authority, status (accepted/unaccepted), rank, and high-level classification (kingdom/family/genus). WoRMS is the authoritative world register of marine species. Keyless. |
get_classification | Walk the full taxonomic lineage (root → tip) for a WoRMS AphiaID: returns a flat ordered array of { rank, name, aphia_id } from superdomain down to the taxon itself. Keyless. |
get_common_names | Get common (vernacular) names for a WoRMS AphiaID across languages. Keyless. |
Add to your MCP client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.):
{
"mcpServers": {
"worms": {
"url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/worms/mcp"
}
}
}
tools/list at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/worms/mcp returns the tools in the table
above plus the shared Pipeworx meta-tools — ask_pipeworx,
discover_tools, search_within, remember/recall and the rest of the
gateway-wide set. So the tool count you see is larger than this table: a
single-pack endpoint currently lists roughly 30 shared tools alongside the
pack's own. The connection's initialize response states its exact scope, and
is the authoritative answer for a given day.
This is deliberate, not multiplexing by accident. The meta-tools are what let a
scoped connection answer a question this pack does not cover — via
ask_pipeworx, which routes across the whole catalog — without you adding a
second MCP server. There is currently no way to mount a pack endpoint without
them; if the extra schemas cost you more context than the routing is worth,
connect to the full gateway once rather than to several pack endpoints.
Or connect to the full Pipeworx gateway to get every pack's tools listed directly, instead of just this one's:
{
"mcpServers": {
"pipeworx": {
"url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/mcp"
}
}
}
Both URLs reach the same gateway and the same 1476+ data sources. The
only difference is which pack's tools are listed directly; ask_pipeworx
reaches all of them from either one.
Instead of calling tools directly, you can ask questions in plain English — this works on the pack endpoint above as well as on the full gateway:
ask_pipeworx({ question: "your question about Worms data" })
The gateway picks the right tool and fills the arguments automatically.
MIT
curl -X POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/worms_search_species \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"name":"Orcinus orca"}'
No account needed for the first calls. Inspect any tool: GET https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/worms_search_species. Find one: POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/search_packs with {"query":"..."}.