SPOON WORMS

At the anterior end of an unsegmented, sac-like body, each echiuran has a grooved and extendable proboscis, a distinctive structure whose general spoon-like shape gives the group its common name. A pair of internal anal sacs, located near the terminal anus, further defines each echiuran.
A transient developmental segmentation along with the presence of a few setae (bristles) hints at an ancestor in common with the annelids (segmented worms).
Reclusive and preferring to burrow in sediments or lie in crevices, the spoon worms are particulate feeders that secrete mucus to envelop their food.
At least 18 echiurans live in the Pacific Northwest.