[None. Introduction starts as:]
The paraonids are small, elongate burrowing worms that rarely exceed 20 mm in length. Their bodies are somewhat expanded and flattened anteriorly, narrowing to numerous posterior segments. The bodies of some species are tightly spiraled after preservation, resembling a corkscrew, suggesting that they maintain this position in the sediments. Paraonids have no palps and are considered to be subsurface deposit feeders; they have only a simple, soft proboscis. Some genera have a distinctive medial antenna. The number of taxa has increased in recent years through the use of finer mesh screens and the increased exploration of continental shelf and slope depths where they are most abundant.