Ragworms are segmented worms with long, flattened bodies, consisting of many segments. Each segment has a pair of parapods, or swimming legs. At the head end (shown in ths image) they have a toothed proboscis, four eyes, and two pairs of antennae. Ragworms are found predominantly in muddy shorelines and often used as fishing bait. They can live up to 3 years. Some species are considered an active predator, sifting through the mud and sand for small ocean creatures, others exist as scavengers.

  • Anne Weston, Francis Crick Institute

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Ragworms are segmented worms with long, flattened bodies, consisting of many segments. Each segment has a pair of parapods, or swimming legs. At the head end (shown in ths image) they have a toothed proboscis, four eyes, and two pairs of antennae. Ragworms are found predominantly in muddy shorelines and often used as fishing bait. They can live up to 3 years. Some species are considered an active predator, sifting through the mud and sand for small ocean creatures, others exist as scavengers. Anne Weston, Francis Crick Institute. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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