Castaway penis fish without a home
Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2019 1:01 pm
Thousands of 10-inch worms known as 'penis fish' inundated a California beach.
The pink creatures, sometimes also called “fat innkeeper worms,” usually live under the sand but were stranded on the beach after a storm. Thick and bulbous on one end, with a nipple-like protrusion on the other, these marine spoon worms have the scientific name Urechis caupo.
The creatures’ “innkeeper” nickname is a nod to the fact that, like any good innkeeper, they provide food and shelter for other underwater denizens. Their tunnels are often safe harbours for fish and crabs, while the leftovers they toss out the back get eaten by passing shrimp and clams.
Another type of marine worm, called Urechis unicinctus – or “gaebul” as it’s known to diners – is found in Pacific waters off the coast of China and South Korea. It looks nearly identical to the fat innkeeper worm and is a sought-after item in some South Korean fish markets.
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/peni ... ch-2019-12
The pink creatures, sometimes also called “fat innkeeper worms,” usually live under the sand but were stranded on the beach after a storm. Thick and bulbous on one end, with a nipple-like protrusion on the other, these marine spoon worms have the scientific name Urechis caupo.
The creatures’ “innkeeper” nickname is a nod to the fact that, like any good innkeeper, they provide food and shelter for other underwater denizens. Their tunnels are often safe harbours for fish and crabs, while the leftovers they toss out the back get eaten by passing shrimp and clams.
Another type of marine worm, called Urechis unicinctus – or “gaebul” as it’s known to diners – is found in Pacific waters off the coast of China and South Korea. It looks nearly identical to the fat innkeeper worm and is a sought-after item in some South Korean fish markets.
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/peni ... ch-2019-12
