Sipunculus nudus
| Sipunculus nudus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Sipuncula |
| Class: | Sipunculidea |
| Order: | Sipunculiformes |
| Family: | Sipunculidae |
| Genus: | Sipunculus |
| Species: | S. nudus |
| Binomial name | |
| Sipunculus nudus Linnaeus, 1766 | |
Sipunculus nudus is a species of unsegmented marine worm, also known as peanut worms. The body of the adult worm is around 15 centimetres (5.9 in) in length but can reach up to 25 cm (9.8 in) in some cases.
The worm is commonly found on subtidal zones of sandy shores to seabeds 900 metres (3,000 ft) in depth in temperate or tropical waters. The worm hides in sand burrows which it makes by itself during the day and may extend its tentacles out of the burrow to feed at night. Its diet consists of plant or animal tissue fragments and any surrounding sand it may ingest with it.
Recent research indicates that it is a complex of similar species around the world rather than one species, with at least "five distinct lineages identified by phylogenetic analyses".[1]
Uses
The species is collected and sold as a model organism for various fields of science, as fish bait, or for human consumption.
In particular, S. nudus is collected, cleaned of its innards, and eaten as a delicacy in some areas such as Vietnam it used to cook the Vietnamese well-known pho in stock (made by boiling it or shrimp that is molting and cow bone with some spice: cinnamon, sweet fennel and ginger), S. nudus is also considered nourish food helping recover one's health (with good care and nutrition) to serve for royal family. The Vietnamese gather S. nudus in island Quan Lạn Quang Ninh or island (fif) hard labour Ré in district Ly Son, Quang Ngai. It is also sold and exported as a dried seafood product.
In southern China such as the provinces of Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, and Fujian. The worms are local delicacies in Beihai, Guangxi where it is called Běihǎi shāchóng (北海沙虫, lit. "Beihai sandworm") and is cooked through various methods. In Xiamen, Fujian the species is called tǔsǔn (土笋, lit. "earth bamboo shoot") and served as an aspic (tǔsǔn dòng, 土笋冻, lit. earth bamboo shoot aspic) in local restaurants.
References
- ↑ Kawauchi, Gisele Y.; Gonzalo Giribet (November 2013). "Sipunculus nudus Linnaeus, 1766 (Sipuncula): cosmopolitan or a group of pseudo-cryptic species? An integrated molecular and morphological approach". Marine Ecology. early online. doi:10.1111/maec.12104.