Nephtys caeca is from the Family Nephtyidae. Nephtids are inhabitants of marine sands, however they can sometimes be found among seagrass and in sediments beneath rocks. They usually inhabit beaches with medium sized sand, but can often be found in mud as well. These animals have well developed parapodia and eversible jaws, which are used for burrowing through marine sediments. They are tolerant of a wide range of salinity and temperature. These worms are sometimes called "shimmy worms" because of their ability to rapidly undulate their body to move quickly through loosely packed sand particles. This burrowing behavior, provided by the muscular proboscis and parapodia, is an important factor in the aeration of soil. When these worms burrow or swim they undulate in a side-to-side motion, beginning at the posterior end and increasing in amplitude towards the prostomium. Animals of the genus Nephtys are generally found in a mid to low intertidal zone, but can also survive at benthic depths of up to 400m. Nephtys caeca is notably distributed across the globe. The animal can be found along eastern Pacific shores (Japan, Korea, China), the west coast of the US (from northern California to Alaska), in the North Atlantic, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Nephtys is generally omnivorous. It feeds on intertidal invertebrates, including other, sedentary, polychaetes. The Sand Worm also has the ability of digesting any organic particles that it may ingest while burrowing. These animals are usually found in the top 5 cm of sediment and rarely emerge from the sediments to capture prey.

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