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Nemertines are known as "ribbon worms" because some species reach up to 100 feet in length, although most are much shorter. About 900 species are known for the Nemertinea (also spelled Nemertina or Nemertini by different authors). Most nemertines are marine, but are a few freshwater species exist, and even a few terrestrial species live in the moist tropics. Generally, nemertines are carnivorous. Most feed on small invertebrates like crustaceans and annelids, but some feed on the eggs of other invertebrates. The most distinctive feature of nemertines is a large proboscis. Normally, The proboscis is kept in a specialized sac called the rhynchocoel. The proboscis is rapidly everted to capture prey and shot out of the rhynchocoel. The proboscis coils around the prey, and poisonous secretions paralyze the prey. Nemertines with stylets on the proboscis stab the prey repeatedly, as well as poisoning them.

Introduction to the Nemertini. Museum of Paleontology, University of California at Berkeley. Basic information on the Nemertea.

Nemertea (Ribbon Worm). Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole. Photographs of, and basic information on, ribbon worms found in the Woods Hole region of Massachusetts.

Anatomy of a Ribbon Worm. Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole.

Keys to Marine Invertebrates of the Woods Hole Region. Marine Biological Laboratory. Keys to the commoner ribbon worms of the Woods Hole Region of Massachusetts along with a list of the species occurring there.

Tree of Life - Nemertea. A phylogeny of the major groups of the Nemertra along with a photograph of one species.

Nothing has been found on the web about this obscure phylum of extremely simple multicellular animals.

Rotifer Systematic Database. E. Walsh and C. Brux. This is the rotifer site with general information about rotifers, their systematics, and a particularly nice photograph of a rotifer with its parts labeled. You will also find references to rotifers and a collection of photographs of representative rotifer species for each of the families.

Adirondack Aquatic Institute's Phytoplankton Image Library. Michael Martin. This site has some photographs of rotifers hidden among the phytoplankton pictures.

Biodidac - Gastrotricha. University of Ottawa. Figures of the internal and external anatomy of a gastrotrich.

Biodidac - Kinorhyncha. Figure of a kinorhynch.

Horse Hair Worms in Illinois. Illinois Natural History Survey. Photographs and information on the horse hair worms in Illinois.

Graphic Images of Parasites. Ohio State University. Photographs of, and information on, several species of Acanthocephala.

No sites for this phylum were found on the World Wide Web.

The priapulids are marine animals looking somewhat like a cross between a worm and a cucumber. They have a two part body with an anterior prosoma consisting of a bulbous proboscis, a short collar, and a mouth armed with short hooks. The second body part is a warty trunk. No sites dealing with this animal have been found on the Web.

Sipunculids are a relatively small phylum with only about 300 known species. All species are marine and are mostly found in shallow water. Some species burrow into sand and mud, others live in crevices in rocks, or in empty shells. Others bore into rock. The body is completely unsegmented.

Tree of Life - Sipuncula. A classification of the Sipuncula with a photograph.

Introduction to the Sipuncula. Museum of Paleontology, University of California at Berkeley. A short, but excellent, introduction to the Sipuncula with a photograph.

Sipuncula Taxa with Synonyms. Edward B. Cutler, Muzeum of Comparative Zoology. A synonymical checklist of the Sipuncula of the world.

Bio 404L - Sipuncula. A short introduction to the Sipuncula with a couple of photographs.

The Echiurids are round, unsegmented, marine worms with a two part body. The front end generally consists of a proboscis and the trunk is stout and knobby. This group is rare in North American waters and live in mud.

Introduction to the Echiura - Spoon Worms. Museum of Paleontology, University of California at Berkeley. An introduction to the Echiura and a photograph.

Urechis canpo. University of California at Santa Cruz. A little information and a photograph of an echiurid (Fat Inkeeper Worm) with a photograph.

Tardigrade Appreciation Headquarters. An introduction to tardigrades with marvelous photographs and links to other tardigrade sites.

Hunting Bears with a Microscope. Steve Case. An introduction to tardigrades and experiments you can perform with them, how to study them, and how to find them.

Bears in the Roof Gutter. David Walker. Illustrations of tardigrades, how to find them, and how to study them.

Tardigrades. Portrait de la Biodiversite. Canadian Museum of Nature. An introduction to tardigrades in French with a wonderful drawing of tardigrades. This page is also available in English from the Museum's home page.

Nothing has been found on the web about this group.