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Project Noah Nature School
Spirobranchus giganteus
Photo take at -40 ft in a Caribbean reef.beautiful feather worm on top of a Mustard Hill Coral. Christmas tree-shaped tube-dwelling worms with magnificent twin spirals of plumes used for feeding and respiration. These cone-shaped worms are one of the most widely recognized sedentary polychaete worms . They come in many colors including orange, yellow, blue, and white and, though they are small with an average 3.8 cm in span, they are easily spotted due to their shape, beauty, and color. The colorful plumes, or tentacles, are used for passive feeding on suspended food particles and plankton in the water. The plumes are also used for respiration.They are very sensitive to disturbances and will rapidly retract into their burrows at the slightest touch or passing shadow. Marinerio.
Most of these worms is anchored in their burrows that they bore into live calcareous coral. Found on coral reefs in tropical waters worldwide.
Spotted on Mar 25, 2012
Submitted on Mar 25, 2012
2 Comments
Yes Nopayahnah many people not have and idea that is a worm, it don´t look like one, but is really pretty.
Would not have guessed that is a worm!