Thursday 22 May 2014

The Nemertean

Mangrove swamps at night are totally quiet with all life seaming asleep except for the nemertean.  These curious predators which are from 10 to 25 cm long hide in cavities in fallen logs during the day.  At night they move slowly across the mangrove floor in search of prey which they catch with an eversible proboscis.  This curious organ can be thrust forwards nearly as far as the animal is long.  At the end of the proboscis is a poison stylus or a sticky pad, for this species, I do not know which.

mangrove ribbon worm Pantinonemertes
A mangrove ribbon worm - Pantinonemertes sp.
Below, a video of the eversible proboscic.



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