Lesson 7: Phylum Echiurans: Spoon Worms
All of the echiurans are marine. They look like unsegmented sausages buried in the mud or coral. They are similar to peanut worms but have a non-retractable, spoon-like or forked proboscis. They are also deposit feeders, using their proboscis to gather nutrients from the sea floor.
The "Fat Innkeeper" is a echiuran that lives in a U-shaped burrow in the mud. This worm is considered a delicacy in Korea, Japan and China and you may see them sold in the markets.
Echiura on a market in South Korea
Urechis caupo, about 20 cm long, in an artificial burrow in Monterey Bay Aquarium. The head is to the top right.
Source: Wikipedia.org
Source: Walla Walla University (Fair Use)