What Worm is This?

[Arthur Morris]

This Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron holding some sort of marine (?) worm was photographed in St. Petersburg, FL this morning with the (much maligned) Canon 100-400mm IS L lens and the EOS-50D. ISO 400. Manual mode: 1/1600 at f/7.1 (Evaualuative mmetering +1/3 stop.)

Willets and Black-bellied Plovers love these black worms and today the yellow-crowns were feasting on them. Any help with the ID or even the family would be appreciated. The worms apprear to be thickly segmented.

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Artie. I have photos of white ibises eating these. I believe they are called lugworms (Genus Arenicola). Hope this helps.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I don't know anything about worms but photographed a black-bellied plover in Florida who had one of those, I believe. If it helps to ID it, here is a link: http://www.pbase.com/axelhi/image/95593093/original.jpg

[Dominic Cantin]

A realy nice image Artie :cool: Maybe the YCNH chew the worm before , that why it's thickly segmented ? ;) can't help about id.

Dom :)

[Rich Steel]

Hi Artie

Looks like a soon to be ex-worm. The worm I would say is what we call here in the UK, Black Lugworm. Lives in u-shaped burrows under the sand and leaves worm casts on the surfaces at low water. A popular bait with sea anglers who dig them out of the beach. It seems not only the fish enjoy them.

Beautiful looking bird!

Cheers

Rich