Fat innkeeper worm
Urechis caupo
- On view
- Sandy Shore & Aviary
- Animal type
- Invertebrates
- Ecosystem
- Coastal wetlands
- Relatives
- Phylum: Echiura
- Diet
- Plankton, food particles
- Range
- California coast
- Size
- Up to 7 inches (17 cm)
Meet the fat innkeeper worm
Innkeeper worms build U-shaped burrows in the muddy sand of low-zone mudflats. These fine "innkeepers" maintain lodgings for their buddies in the mud. Food, shelter and running water pumped by the innkeeper worm attract a motley crew of guests to this burrow. Some, like the arrow goby, check in and out quickly; others, like pea crabs and scale worms, take up permanent residency. The innkeeper isn't bothered by these guests, but doesn't benefit from them, either.
Conservation
Many kinds of plants, birds and fishes depend on the special mix of fresh and salt water found in wetlands. When we protect wetlands against development, we protect the homes of many animals.
Cool facts
- Innkeeper worms eat by creating a "slime net" that traps tiny bits of food drifting in the water. When the net is full of food, the innkeeper swallows its meal—net and all.
Up next in coastal wetlands
Animal
Sea otter
Beyond their cute faces and fluffy fur, sea otters play an irreplaceable role in their coastal habitats.
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