Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-10-30T06:24:41.473Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Echiura

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

J. D. Fish
Affiliation:
University of Wales, Aberystwyth
S. Fish
Affiliation:
University of Wales, Aberystwyth
Get access

Summary

Members of the phylum Echiura are marine, worm-like animals found burrowing in mud and sand, under rocks and in crevices, both on the shore and sublittorally. The body is divided into two parts, an anterior proboscis with a longitudinal ventral groove and a posterior, cylindrical or sac-like trunk, which has two large, ventral setae near its anterior end. The mouth is at the posterior end of the proboscis. The species vary in length from a few millimetres to a metre or more in those species in which the proboscis is long and highly extensible. Echiurans feed on detritus. In most, the animal remains in the burrow and the proboscis is extended over the surface of the sediment and detritus trapped in mucus secreted by the proboscis. The mucous string is carried along the ventral groove to the mouth. In some species, a mucous net is secreted by the proboscis at the entrance to the burrow and the animal filter feeds. The sexes are separate and fertilization is usually external; there is a free-swimming trocophore larva.

Echiurus echiurus (Pallas) Fig. 15.1a

Trunk cylindrical, up to 200 mm in length. Anterior end with large proboscis with conspicuous ventral groove. Trunk covered with small papillae; 2 anterior, ventral setae; 2 rings of setae at posterior. Proboscis orange with brown stripes, trunk yellowish-grey.

E. echiurus is widely distributed in north-west Europe where it is found in burrows in sand and mud on the lower shore and sublittoral. Breeding occurs during winter.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Stephen, A. C. & Edmonds, S. J. (1972). The phyla Sipuncula and Echivra. London: British Museum (Natural History).Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

  • Echiura
  • J. D. Fish, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, S. Fish, University of Wales, Aberystwyth
  • Book: A Student's Guide to the Seashore
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139035125.018
Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Echiura
  • J. D. Fish, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, S. Fish, University of Wales, Aberystwyth
  • Book: A Student's Guide to the Seashore
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139035125.018
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Echiura
  • J. D. Fish, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, S. Fish, University of Wales, Aberystwyth
  • Book: A Student's Guide to the Seashore
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139035125.018
Available formats
×