Peanut worm. Coloured Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM) of a sipunculid or \peanut\" worm Phascolion sp. This tiny marine worm (phylum: Sipuncula) li

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Peanut worm. Coloured Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM) of a sipunculid or \peanut\" worm Phascolion sp. This tiny marine worm (phylum: Sipuncula) lives as meiofauna in wet beach sand. At top is its mouth with cilia and sharp curved hooks; behind the mouth is a narrow neck or introvert which can elongate but is seen here retracted; at bottom is the swollen trunk. This pear-shaped body enables Phascolion to push its way between sand grains, anchor itself with hooks, then pull its body along. It feeds on sand and removes micro- organisms in the sand like bacteria. Meiofauna play an essential role in keeping beaches clean. Magnification: x260 at 5x7cm size. x445 at 4x5\""

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Size: 3072px × 4048px
Photo credit: © DAVID SCHARF/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, beach, fauna, invertebrate, invertebrates, marine, meio-fauna, meiofauna, nature, peanut, phascolion, sipunculid, sipunculoidea, wildlife, worm, zoology