Blow lugworm
Species of annelid worm
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The blow lugworm (Arenicola marina), also known as sandworm, is a large species of marine worm. Its coiled castings are a familiar sight on a beach at low tide but the animal itself is rarely seen except by those who, from curiosity or to use as fishing bait, dig the worm out of the sand.
| Blow lugworm | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Clade: | Pleistoannelida |
| Clade: | Sedentaria |
| Clade: | Maldanomorpha |
| Family: | Arenicolidae |
| Genus: | Arenicola |
| Species: | A. marina |
| Binomial name | |
| Arenicola marina | |
Description
When fully grown, blow lugworms of the coasts of Europe grow to 5.1 in (13 cm) long and 0.375 in (1 cm) in diameter. It weighs 2 to 5 oz (57 to 142 g). The body is like that of any typical annelid: ringed or segmented. Its head end, which is blackish-red and bears no tentacles or bristles, passes into a fatter middle part which is red. This in turn passes into a thinner yellowish-red tail end. The middle part has bristles along its sides and also pairs of feathery gills. There is a well-developed system of blood vessels with red blood rich in the oxygen-carrying pigment, haemoglobin.[2] Lugworms also have hairs on the outside of their bodies that act as external gills. These can rapidly increase their uptake of oxygen. Lugworm blood has a large oxygen carrying capacity which may have medical applications.[3]
A related species of lugworm also found in the UK is the black lugworm (Arenicola defodiens).[4] As well as growing larger than blow lugworms, black lugworms are generally much darker, often totally black. They can also be distinguished by the different wormcasts they produce; Arenicola defodiens makes a spiral cast, while that of Arenicola marina is jumbled.[5]
Medical interest
The haemoglobin of Arenicola marina, called M101, can carry up to 156 molecules of O2 while human haemoglobin can carry 4. [6] This makes M101 an interesting blood substitute [7] and promising to use as transportation of organ graft [8]and in the healing of severe burns[9]. Several therapeutical products are being developed and commercialized by the French company Hemarina.[10]
