Fisheries and Oceans Canada
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Archived – Marine Worm/Bloodworm
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Bloodworm (Glycera dibranchiata) is the main marine polychaete harvested from intertidal mud flats and sold live to marine sport fishermen for bait. Bloodworms (Glycera dibranchiata) belong to a phylum of animals known as the Annelida. This group of organisms usually has an elongated, cylindrical-shaped body consisting of a series of similar segments. These worms inhabit the intertidal and subtidal regions of mud flats. They can survive in areas with low oxygen levels and have the ability to tolerate fluctuating salinity levels. They feed on other marine worms and invertebrates while burrowing through mud or sand.
There has been a fishery for marine worms (primarily bloodworms) in the Maritimes Region of DFO since 1952, but it first became regulated in 2001.
