The Digestive System of a Sandworm/King Ragworm (Alitta virens)
The diet of a ragworm does not consist of many things. It consists of mainly invertebrates, plankton, dirt, and mud, making it very easy for it to digest its materials. The first step for the ragworm is to trap its prey, and it does this by spinning a net of mucus at the entrance to its shelter, and rolling up the mucus and swallows it, using its mouth and jaws,when there is enough food. This food then goes straight from the mouth to the anus without any stoppage at any major organs. First, the food enters the pharynx and then it goes to the esophagus, where it will be broken down. From here, the food enters the crop, where food can be stored, and then the gizzard, where the food can be broken down further. From here, the food enters the intestine of the ragworm, where the food is broken down even further using digestive enzymes. Here the nutrients needed for the ragworm's health and well-being are absorbed as well. The waste is then excreted from the anus of the ragworm.