| Family: |
Sipunculidae (sipunculids) |
| Max. size: |
30 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
benthic; marine; depth range 0 - 2275 m |
| Distribution: |
Indo-West Pacific, North and Central Atlantic, and the Mediterranean. Cosmopolitan. Temperate and subtropical. |
| Diagnosis: |
Small ones: transparent and iridescent. Large one: pinkish red. Skin is smooth to small ones. Trunk: has no papillae; introvert is covered with triangular "scales" or large white papillae directed posteriorly. Some having 4 lobes - 2 dorsal and 2 ventral. Longitudinal muscle bands (LMBs): thick strong ridges; common 5-15 cm long with 24-34 LMBs. Refractors muscles are separate and attach at the same level, each with a broad base extending over 5 - 7 longitudinal muscle bands. Spindle muscle: attached anterior to the anus. Gut: attached to the body wall by several fixing muscles or connective tissue strands throughout its length; very thin, transparent, and fragile. Nephridia: vary in length; range from 10 to 20% of the trunk length. Nephridiopores: anterior to the anus between the 4th and 5th longitudinal muscle bands. Ventral nerve cord: loosely attached anteriorly with numerous, large, lateral offshoots to the introvert (Ref. 358). |
| Biology: |
Eulittoral; intertidal and subtidal on mud, rocks, sand, silt and in rock cracks or crevices (Ref. 358 and 1784). Occurs from 12 m (Ref. 358) in the littoral zone to 2275 m (Ref. 775) along continental shelf and slope (Ref. 1456). Predated on by the finfish Diplodus sargus sargus (Ref. 41986). Inhabits shallow, subtidal sand flat. Depth: shallowest is 12 m (Ref. 358); littoral zone to 2275 m (Ref. 775, 1819); continental shelf, continental slope (Ref. 1456); intertidal zone, sandy bottoms, rock crack, eulittoral zone; mud, sand (Ref. 1784). Intertidal to 30 m, and few from 100-900 m (Ref. 1840). Burrows (Ref. 116123). A sub-surface deposit feeder (Ref. 96376). Builds a permanent burrow in the sand, obtaining food particles by moving the finer organic materials washed into the burrow (Ref. 125338). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. 123251)
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| Threat to humans: |
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| Country info: |
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Source and more info: www.sealifebase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.
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