Sipunculus nudus
Encyclopedia
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 worms is commonly found on subtidal zones of sandy shores to seabeds 900 metres (2,952.8 ft) in depth in temperate or tropical waters. The worms hides in sand borrows which it makes by itself during day and may extend tentacle
s out of the borrow to feed at night. Its diet consists of plant or animal tissue fragments and any surrounding sand it may ingest with it.
S. nudus is collected, cleaned of its innards, and eaten as a delicacy in parts of 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. It is also sold and exported as a dried seafood product. 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.
The worms is commonly found on subtidal zones of sandy shores to seabeds 900 metres (2,952.8 ft) in depth in temperate or tropical waters. The worms hides in sand borrows which it makes by itself during day and may extend tentacle
Tentacle
A tentacle or bothrium is one of usually two or more elongated flexible organs present in animals, especially invertebrates. The term may also refer to the hairs of the leaves of some insectivorous plants. Usually, tentacles are used for feeding, feeling and grasping. Anatomically, they work like...
s out of the borrow to feed at night. Its diet consists of plant or animal tissue fragments and any surrounding sand it may ingest with it.
Uses
The species is collected and sold as a model organisms for various fields of science or a fish bait.S. nudus is collected, cleaned of its innards, and eaten as a delicacy in parts of southern China such as the provinces of Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
, Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
, Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
, and Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
. The worms are local delicacies in Beihai
Beihai
Beihai is a prefecture-level city of Guangxi, China. Beihai means "north of the sea" in Chinese, signifying its status as a seaport on the north shore of the Gulf of Tonkin. Between the years 2006 and 2020, Beihai is predicted to be the world's fastest growing city...
, Guangxi where it is called Běihǎi shāchóng (北海沙虫, lit. "Beihai sandworm") and is cooked through various methods. It is also sold and exported as a dried seafood product. In Xiamen
Xiamen
Xiamen , also known as Amoy , is a major city on the southeast coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with an area of and population of 3.53 million...
, Fujian the species is called tǔsǔn (土笋, lit. "earth bamboo shoot") and served as an aspic
Aspic
Aspic is a dish in which ingredients are set into a gelatin made from a meat stock or consommé. Non-savory dishes, often made with commercial gelatin mixes without stock or consommé, are usually called gelatin salads....
(tǔsǔn dòng, 土笋冻, lit. earth bamboo shoot aspic) in local restaurants.