The Sipuncula, sipunculid worms or peanut worms, are a phylum containing 144-320 species (estimates vary) of bilaterally symmetrical, unsegmented marine worms. Sipunculid worm jelly (土笋冻) is a delicacy in the town of Xiamen in Fujian province of China.

Habitat

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Sipunculids are relatively common, and live in shallow waters, either in burrows or in discarded shells like hermit crabs do. Some bore into solid rocks to make a shelter for themselves. Although typically less than 10 cm long, some sipunculans may reach several times that length.

Anatomy

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The most reconisible part of sipunculan worms is their mouth, which is surrounded by a mass of tentacles, all of which may be inverted into the body. The digestive tract of sipunculans passes from the mouth to the posterior end of the body, before twisting back around itself and ending at the anus, on the side of the body. A few taxa possess a calcified plate called the anal shield. Sipunculans have a coelom. However, they do not have a vascular blood system. Instead, interstitial fluid transports oxygen and nutrients around the body. A separate cavity fills the hollow tentacles; it passes oxygen from the tentacles to the coelom. The body wall is strong and muscular; when threatened, sipunculids can retract their body into a shape resembling a peanut kernel. This is where the name "Australian peanut worm" comes from.

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