Ribbon Worms

Ribbon worms

Cerebratulus macrorrhochmus, from Cornell Collection of Blaschka Invertebrate Models. Photo: David O. Brown, used with permission from Cornell University.

Ribbon worms (Nemerteans) are a group of mostly small worm-shaped animals, all of which have a proboscis which most species use to capture prey. Most species are marine, but some live on land or in fresh water. Most marine species live in sediments on the ocean floor, but a few swim in the open water. A few sea-living species can reach great lengths, with one species known to exceed 100 feet (33 meters) long (but only a few millimeters wide).

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