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Flatworms in Cowichan Bay
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Down by the Bay Where the eelgrass grows Back to my home, I dare not go For if I do My mother would say Have you ever seen a Flatworm doing the squirm? Down by the bay!
Worms are awesome! On land, they turn compost into nutrients and are food for birds and other creatures.
Did you know that worms also live in the ocean? We have lots of different kinds of worms here, but one of the more unusual worms is called a Flatworm.
This curious creature lives in the ocean and is as flat as a piece of paper and is a freemoving predator.
Having a flat body allows this worm to move into places that most other invertebrates can not- such as in rock crevices and cracks in the shells of bivalves such as oysters and scallops. Unfortunately, while the flatworm is not a parasite, it is considered a pest to aquaculture operations.
The Bivalve Flatworm likes to settle in oyster beds, on marine structures, hanging bags of scallop seed and other places where shellfish is easy to access. This worm also likes to eat limpets, barnacles and other small marine organisms.
The worm in the above photo was found squeezed in between the plastic mesh in the under-gravel filter of the Observation Tank at the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre. The edges are curled up a bit because it was out of the water (don’t worry, we put it back in the tank).
Flatworms in Cowichan Bay
Cool fact: this worm has a simple digestive system with only one opening…that means its mouth is also the anus.
You probably won’t find a flatworm while beachcombing, but if you scuba dive or snorkel near shellfish beds, you might find one.
Happy worm hunting! remember your beach etiquette this season:
Please be gentle with all creatures you find on the beach. The ocean is a hard place to live. If you turn a rock to look underneath, please turn it over and put it back exactly as you found it. The creatures that live under rocks need their homes to survive.
Madeline Southern Aquarist/ Educator, Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre Cowichanestuary.ca
