Blood worm [Samytha sanguinea]
Description
Samytha sanguinea, or the blood worm, is a marine polychaete worm primarily found in the Pacific Ocean. They get their common name from their bright red color, caused by the presence of hemoglobin in their bodies. Blood worms are primarily benthic creatures, living in burrows in sand or mud. They are carnivores, using their eversible pharynx to capture prey. Blood worms have elongated bodies with numerous segments, each segment equipped with parapodia, which are bifurcated in this species.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Segmented Worms
Annelida
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Polychaetes
Polychaeta
|
| Order |
Sabellida
Sabellida
|
| Family |
Ampharetids
Ampharetidae
|
| Genus |
Samytha
Samytha
|