Appearance
Sandworms have many distinctive traits, including⤷ often reaching great length, sometimes exceeding four feet
⤷ numerous, highly vascularized parapodia along both sides of their bodies
⤷ blue heads with two large pincer teeth which are capable of biting humans
The parapodia function both as external gills (the animal's primary respiratory surfaces), and as means of locomotion (appearing much like short legs).
Naming
SynonymsNereis virens M. Sars, 1835
Neanthes virens (M. Sars, 1835)
Nereis paucidentata Treadwell, 1939 *
Nereis dyamushi Izuka, 1912 *
Nereis grandis Stimpson, 1854 *
Nereis southerni Abdel-Moez & Humphries, 1955 *
Nereis yankiana Quatrefages, 1866 *
Food
Sandworms eat seaweed and microorganisms.Uses
Sandworms make up a large part of the live sea-bait industry. To fulfill the needs of this industry, some sandworms are commercially grown. "Sandworming", or the harvesting of sandworms from mudflats, employs over 1,000 people in Maine. As of 2006, the population of sandworms had diminished greatly over the preceding few years due in large part to overharvesting before the worms are able to reproduce by spawning.References:
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