Cambrian Explosion #35: Phylum Kinorhyncha

After the slightly unfortunately-shaped priapulids, let’s move on to something much safer-for-work: dragons!

More accurately, kinorhynchs, tiny spiky scalidophoran worms with the delightful common name of “mud dragons“. These animals weren’t even discovered until the mid-1800s and are so small – less than 1mm (0.04”) in size – that they’re considered to be “meiofauna“, wriggling around between grains of sediment using the spines on their heads to pull themselves along.

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