Nemertea
Sign in to saveNemertea is a phylum of animals also known as ribbon worms or proboscis worms, consisting of about 1300 known species. Most ribbon worms are very slim, usually only a few millimeters wide, although a few have relatively short but wide bodies. Many have patterns of yellow, orange, red and green coloration. The foregut, stomach and intestine run a little below the midline of the body, the anus is at the tip of the tail, and the mouth is under the front. A little above the gut is the , a cavity which mostly runs above the midline and ends a little short of the rear of the body. All species have
AI overview
Nemertea is a phylum of around 1,300 species of slim, colorful worms known as ribbon worms or proboscis worms, most only a few millimeters wide but sometimes displaying striking patterns of yellow, orange, red, and green. These animals are notable for their distinctive body structure, including a unique cavity system that runs above their digestive tract, which helps distinguish them from other worm groups.
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Article
19 sectionsContents
- History
- Description
- Body structure and major cavities
- Proboscis and feeding
- Respiration and circulatory system
- Excretion
- Nervous-system and senses
- Movement
- Reproduction and life-cycle
- Ecological significance
- Taxonomy
- Evolutionary history
- Fossil record
- Within Nemertea
- Relationships with other phyla
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
Nemertea is a phylum of animals also known as ribbon worms or proboscis worms, consisting of about 1300 known species. Most ribbon worms are very slim, usually only a few millimeters wide, although a few have relatively short but wide bodies. Many have patterns of yellow, orange, red and green coloration.
The foregut, stomach and intestine run a little below the midline of the body, the anus is at the tip of the tail, and the mouth is under the front. A little above the gut is the , a cavity which mostly runs above the midline and ends a little short of the rear of the body. All species have a proboscis which lies in the rhynchocoel when inactive but everts to emerge just above the mouth to capture the animal's prey with venom. A highly extensible muscle in the back of the rhynchocoel pulls the proboscis in when an attack ends. A few species with stubby bodies filter feed and have suckers at the front and back ends, with which they attach to a host.