Common name : Tongue worms
Scientific name : Enteropneusta
Family : Enteropneusta
Interesting fact : Its skin secretes a bromide compoundthat keeps bacteria and predators away.
Conservation status : Not Evaluated
True to its name, the worm-shaped marine invertebrate has 3 parts–an acorn-shaped proboscis, a short fleshy collar and a long trunk. They live in U-shaped sand and mud burrows of ocean floor. They feed on bacteria, diatoms and microalgae by ingesting the sand stuck to them (deposit feeding) and secrete coils of digested sediments called cast. They also do this with water through suspension feeding.
