Way
of life
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More about the lugworm
Way of life
The lugworm normally lives dug down in
the sand in shallow water areas, where piles of excrement composed mainly
of sand reveals its presence. A lugworm that finds itself above the bottom
sediment has to dig downwards from its present position because of its
inability to creep along the bottom. The lugworm has the ability to swim,
but this is achieved in a backward direction. Digging itself down is accomplished
in between 2-6 minutes depending on how saturated the sand is, the higher
the saturation, the quicker it digs. Whilst digging, the lugworm secretes
a mucus. The slender fore end is used to bore downwards, where body fluids
are pressed to cause a swelling that results in an anchor, thus enabling
the lugworm, with its muscles, to pulll the rest of its body down deeper
into the hole. During the winter, the lugworm is usually found deeper
in the sand compared with during the summer and is capable of sitting
in its hole for up to 8 months. The lugworm even has the ability to survive
in frozen sand for up to a month.
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