Sand Worms Clam Worms and Tubeworms: Polychaeta

As a group, clam worms, sand worms, and tubeworms eat virtually all food resources in the ocean. Carnivores (KAR-nih-vorz) eat all kinds of small marine animals. Herbivores (URH-bih-vorz) feed on plant tissues. Omnivores (AM-nih-vroz) eat both plants and animals, dead or alive. These worms are raptorial, deposit, or suspension feeders. Raptorial (rap-TORE-ee-uhl) feeders are predators that actively hunt for their food. They extend part of their digestive tract out of the mouth and grab their prey with their hard jaws. Some species inject paralyzing venom into their prey.

Deposit feeders eat the surrounding sand or mud and digest whatever food in the form of detritus (dih-TRY-tuhs), bits of plants, animals, and animal waste, it contains. Selective deposit feeders use their sticky mouthparts or tentacles to capture and eat bits of food without having to swallow lots of mud and sand.

Suspension feeders either use their tentacles to stir up food into the water or sift food particles from water currents. Some burrowing species use their tentacles to pull water that carries floating food particles into their burrows.