A genus of tiny marine worm-like creatures with spiny bodies that live in the spaces between sand grains on ocean floors.
From Greek echinos (hedgehog) + dere (skin), literally 'spiny-skinned.' These organisms were first scientifically described in the late 1800s as oceanographers began exploring microscopic marine life.
These creatures are so small they live in a hidden world between sand grains—scientists are still discovering new species because studying organisms thinner than a human hair requires special equipment.
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