Worms
Marine worms often construct tubes to live in and feed with tentacles in the water column.
Worms are common in the marine environment, often they are found burrowing in mud or sandy sediments.
The large areas of sand flats in Scilly are home to many species of worm: sand mason worms make their tubes using mucus to stick sand grains together!
Some marine worms are beautiful, like the eyelash worm which can shoot back into its tube very rapidly if it senses danger.
Others such as lugworms are rarely seen but the casts which they leave on the surface of the sand, produced during feeding, are common.
Podcast: Dr Andy Mackie The chair of the Porcupine Marine Natural History Society talks to Jaclyn Pearson about marine worms. 2MB
