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. On its body can be seen an unidentified hitchhiker. At top is the worm's mouth with curved hooks; there is a narrow elongated neck or introvert which can retract; at bottom is the swollen trunk. The pear- shaped body enables Phascolion to push its way between sand grains, anchor with hooks, then pull its body along. It eats sand and removes micro- organisms in the sand like bacteria. Meiofauna play an essential role in keeping beaches clean. Magnification: x100 at 5x7cm size. x160 at 4x5\""

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Size: 3072px × 4004px
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