Arctic worm (echinoderm) - Arctic worm (English spelling) Echinoderes dujardinii

Japanese: キョクヒチュウ(棘皮虫) - キョクヒチュウ（英語表記）Echinoderes dujardinii

This is a kinorrhynchosid animal of the family Nerium. It is so named because there are many sharp spines that point backwards on the surface of its body. It is found from central Honshu southwards, living in sand and mud on the coast and among seaweed. It has a cylindrical body length of up to 0.4 mm and consists of 13 rings. The mouth opens in the centre of the front end of the body, surrounded by a row of oral spines. The head is lined with 5 to 6 rows of sharp spines that point backwards, the last row of which is shaped like a bird's feathers. It has a pair of eyespots on its dorsal side. The neck is short, with no spines, just 16 narrow chitin plates.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

キョクヒチュウ科の動吻（どうふん）動物。体表には後方に向かった鋭いとげが多数並んでいるのでこの名がある。本州中部以南に分布し，海岸の砂泥中や海藻の間などにすむ。体長0.4mmまでの円筒形で，13環帯よりなる。口は体の前端中央に開き，その周囲を口刺（こうし）が1列に取り巻く。頭部全体には後方に向かった鋭いとげが5～6列並び，最後列のものは鳥羽のような形になる。背側に1対の眼点がある。頸部（けいぶ）は短く，16個の幅の狭いキチン板が並ぶだけでとげはない。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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