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Story: Marine animals without backbones

Marine roundworm

Marine roundworm

In this magnified image of a roundworm from Papanui Inlet, Otago, the head and throat are clearly visible. The entire animal is only 4 millimetres long. It belongs to a group of free-living nematodes, which feed on bacteria and microscopic algae.

About this item

Private collection
Photograph by Daniel Leduc

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How to cite this page:

Dennis Gordon and Maggy Wassilieff. 'Marine animals without backbones', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 24-Sep-11
URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/marine-animals-without-backbones/2/5