lugwormArticle Free Pass lugworm, (genus Arenicola), any of
several marine worms (class Polychaeta, phylum Annelida) that
burrow deep into the sandy sea bottom or intertidal areas and
are often quite large. Fishermen use them as bait. Adult
lugworms of the coast of Europe (e.g., A. marina) attain lengths
of about 23 cm (9 inches). The lugworm of the coasts of North
America (A. cristata) ranges in length from 7.5 to 30 cm. The
body is segmented, or ringed. The head end is dark red; behind
it the body is fatter and lighter in colour. Toward the tail the
body becomes thinner and yellowish red. The middle of the body
has bristles and about 12 pairs of feathery gills. Lugworms feed
on decayed organic matter and ingest sand along with the food
particles. At low tide their coiled casts (masses of excrement)
may often be seen piled above their burrows. Their burrows may
extend as deep as 60 cm (2 feet). The animals are
hermaphroditic; i.e., functional reproductive organs of both
sexes occur in the same individual. Th