| Phoronids Temporal range:
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|---|---|
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| Phoronis sp. | |
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| Phoronopsis harmeri | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| (unranked): | Spiralia |
| Superphylum: | Lophotrochozoa |
| Clade: | Lophophorata |
| Clade: | Brachiozoa |
| Phylum: | Phoronida Hatschek, 1888 |
| Genera | |
| |
Phoronids (scientific name Phoronida, sometimes called horseshoe worms) are a small phylum of marine animals that filter-feed with a lophophore (a "crown" of tentacles), and build upright tubes of chitin to support and protect their soft bodies. They live in most of the oceans and seas, including the Arctic Ocean but excluding the Antarctic Ocean, and between the intertidal zone and about 400 meters down. Most adult phoronids are 2 cm long and about 1.5 mm wide, although the largest are 50 cm long.
The name of the group comes from its type genus: Phoronis.[2][3]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
EmigGrzimekPhorwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Phoronida". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. "New Latin, from Phoronis + -ida."
- ^ "Phoronis". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. "New Latin, probably from Latin Phoronis (Io, mythical priestess of Argos who was loved by Zeus)."