Oxymeris crenulata (Linnaeus, 1758)
105.9mm

Oxymeris crenulata is common at Kwajalein and found in lagoon and seaward reef sandy areas. On wide sandy interisland reefs, it can often be seen attacking hemicordates (acorn worms) that form thick spaghetti-like mounds on the surface of the sand.

Zeroing in on an active acorn worm mound. Suppertime's getting near.

Anohter one plowed right into the acorn worm mound, which now looks flattened and inactive. The Oxymeris is probably eating.

Sweeping away the sandy mound, they yellowish worm is visible being eaten by the shell.

Last bit of worm going down the hatch.

Here is a healthy hemicordate or acorn worm. They pull in sand from one end, process it through and digest any edibles, and push the sand out the other end coated with mucus that allows the sandy waste to maintain a tubular form for a while before collapsing.

Created 2 April 2017
Updated 27 March 2020

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