Chaetopterus variopedatus, up to 9.8 in (25 cm) long
Body Beautiful Photograph by Darlyne A. Murawski
The intricate parchment worm, this one about five inches (13 centimeters) long, is typically well-hidden in a U-shaped tube in the sand—through which it pumps water using paddles at the center of the body. Edible bits are caught and balled up in sticky mucus bags that form below the rectangular head. When disturbed, this remarkable animal can expel bioluminescent mucus.
