Creature 329: Kinorhyncha

Mud dragons
Kinorhyncha are an unusual animal phylum sometimes called mud dragons.

That name might be a little over-dramatic for what these animals actually are. They pretty much consist of a head, single segmented midsection and an 11 segmented abdomen. Their body is covered in little spine like protrusions which they use to propel themselves through the mud. Not much is known about this obscure phylum, but they crawl about in the mud eating microbial lifeforms.

Distribution:
Kinorhyncha  can be found in the benthic layer of fresh or salt water ecosystems all over the world.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Kinorhyncha 

Image Links:
http://photomacrography.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6823&sid=f437b485de2fa37ea1bfcc5507979e90
http://www.britannica.com/animal/kinorhynch