Echiura

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Echiura, also known as spoon worms, is a small group of marine animals belonging to the phylum Annelida. They are characterized by their unsegmented, soft bodies and a distinctive proboscis that extends from the mouth, which they use to feed on organic matter in the sediment.

Echiurans are found in a variety of marine environments, from shallow coastal waters to the deep sea. They play a role in the benthic ecosystem by processing sediment and contributing to the recycling of nutrients.

Despite their worm-like appearance, molecular and morphological studies have shown that echiurans are closely related to the annelids, a large phylum that includes earthworms and leeches. However, they are distinguished from other annelids by the absence of body segmentation and their unique feeding apparatus.

Echiura is not a large group, with about 150 species described, but they are of interest to biologists for their peculiar morphology and lifestyle, as well as their evolutionary relationship to other annelids.

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