The blow lugworm (Arenicola marina), also known as sandworm, is a large species of marine worm. Its coiled castings are a familiar sight on a beach at low tide but the animal itself is rarely seen except by those who, from curiosity or to use as fishing bait, dig the worm out of the sand.
| Blow lugworm | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Clade: | Pleistoannelida |
| Clade: | Sedentaria |
| Clade: | Maldanomorpha |
| Family: | Arenicolidae |
| Genus: | Arenicola |
| Species: | A. marina
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| Binomial name | |
| Arenicola marina | |
Description
editWhen fully grown, blow lugworms of the coasts of Europe grow to 5.1 in (13 cm) long and 0.375 in (1 cm) in diameter. It weighs 2 to 5 oz (57 to 142 g). The body is like that of any typical annelid: ringed or segmented. Its head end, which is blackish-red and bears no tentacles or bristles, passes into a fatter middle part which is red. This in turn passes into a thinner yellowish-red tail end. The middle part has bristles along its sides and also pairs of feathery gills. There is a well-developed system of blood vessels with red blood rich in the oxygen-carrying pigment, haemoglobin.[2] Lugworms also have hairs on the outside of their bodies that act as external gills. These can rapidly increase its uptake of oxygen. Lugworm blood has a large oxygen carrying capacity which may have medical applications.[3]
A related species of lugworm also found in the UK is the black lugworm (Arenicola defodiens).[4] As well as growing larger than blow lugworms, black lugworms are generally much darker, often totally black. They can also be distinguished by the different wormcasts they produce; Arenicola defodiens makes a spiral cast, while that of Arenicola marina is jumbled.[5]
References
edit
- ^ World Register of Marine Species
- ^ Marine Species Identification Portal
- ^ Boissoneault, Lorraine (31 January 2019). "Lugworm Blood, Coming Soon to a Pharmacy Near You". Hakai Magazine. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
- ^ Cadman, P. S.; Nelson-Smith, A. (1993). A New Species of Lugworm, Arenicola defodiens sp. nov. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 73(1): 213-224., available online at https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315400032744 [details] Available for editors PDF available [request]
- ^ James McNish. "Lugworm poos and the secrets they hold". Natural History Museum. Retrieved 20 September 2021.