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Kinorhyncha (Gr. kīneō 'move' + rhynchos 'snout') is a phylum of small (1 mm or less) marine pseudocoelomate invertebrates that are widespread in mud or sand at all depths as part of the meiobenthos. They are also called mud dragons.

They are segmented, with a body consisting of a head, neck, and a trunk of eleven segments. They do not have external cilia, but instead have a number of spines along the body, plus several circles of spines around the head, which they use for locomotion, withdrawing the head and pushing forward, then holding with the spines while drawing up the body. The spines are part of a cuticle secreted by the epidermis; this is molted several times while growing to adulthood. The head is completely retractable, and is covered by a set of neck plates called placids when retracted.

Kinorhynchs eat diatoms and whatever else they can find in the mud.

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Pseudocoelomates :: Animalia

 
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Kinorhyncha - Anatomical diagrams.

Phylum Kinorhyncha - Description of this invertebrate phylum.
Meta Description: [ An introduction to the biology, classification and ecology of Spiny-crown Worms the phylum Kinorhyncha ]

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