#4954 · 🪼 jellyfish, starfish, worms & co
Sand horseshoe worm
🇳🇱 Zandhoefijzerworm ·Phoronis psammophila
🪼 Jellyfish, starfish, worms & co 📍 in the Netherlands
📍 Las Palmas, ES-CN, ES
📍 Espiguette, 30240 Le Grau-du-Roi, France
📍 Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon, FR
📍 Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, FR
📍 Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, FR
📍 Schouwen-Duiveland, Nederland
📍 Zeelandbrug, Zierikzee, Netherlands
📍 Zeelandbrug, Zierikzee, Netherlands
📍 Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon, FR
10 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences
- 1. © Frédéric ANDRE · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 2. Las Palmas, ES-CN, ES:© Dennis Rabeling · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
- 3. Espiguette, 30240 Le Grau-du-Roi, France:© Virginie Zajdel · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 4. Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon, FR:© Pierre Corbrion · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
- 5. Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, FR:© Frédéric ANDRE · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 6. Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, FR:© Frédéric ANDRE · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 7. Schouwen-Duiveland, Nederland:© Glenn Biscop · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 8. Zeelandbrug, Zierikzee, Netherlands:© Glenn Biscop · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 9. Zeelandbrug, Zierikzee, Netherlands:© Glenn Biscop · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 10. Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon, FR:© Frédéric ANDRE · CC BY-NC 4.0
what is it?
Phoronis psammophila is a species of marine horseshoe worm in the phylum Phoronida. It lives in a tube projecting from the sea floor in shallow seas around the world.
base stats
Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).
fun facts
- Spotted 5 times in the Netherlands on iNaturalist.
- 41 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
- Scientifically named in 1889 (137 years ago).
fact sheet
- English
- Sand horseshoe worm
- Nederlands
- Zandhoefijzerworm
- scientific name
- Phoronis psammophila
- family
- Phoronidae
- sightings in NL
- 5
- sightings in Europe
- 13
- sightings worldwide
- 41
- GBIF records in NL
- 6
- weight
- —
- length
- —
- lifespan
- —
- named
- 1889
relatives· Phoronidae
Sources: iNaturalist taxon 353643, Wikidata Q2341503, GBIF 5186405, Wikipedia (EN), Wikipedia (NL). Intro text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.