The giant feather duster worm, (Eudistylia polymorpha), is around 25.4 centimeters long and 1.3 centimeters wide. Ok, so it’s not so big, but it can sure look that way if you ever meet one eye to, ahem, eyes. This worm earned the name “giant feather duster worm” because it looks like a feather duster and it is also orange, maroon, and brown in color. The tube is tan and it is made of filtered particles and protein. It is not uncommon for the worm to tube to be covered in sand and shell bits.

The plume is about 6.4 centimeters wide and it has anywhere from 25-30 gills that are red in color and look like feathers. You can find the giant feather duster worm along the Pacific Coast all the way from Alaska to San Diego, California. These delightful creatures are commonly spotted in Pacific Grove, Ca. The worm prefers shallow water, so if you’re searching for one, all you have to do is look around man-made structures such as pilings, floats, and wharfs.

So what do these animals eat? The feather duster worm finds food particles and plankton to satisfy hunger pangs. By creating the current mentioned earlier, the worm moves its grub closer to its tentacles which are covered in a sticky substance that traps the food. The feather duster worm repeats this process quite often as it has a very (very) strong appetite.

According to MarineBio.com, “The giant feather duster worm’s means of fertilization, of course, are external. Oocytes may range from 140 to over 200 µm in diameter, depending on whether the species broods eggs or spawns freely. (In the latter case, the eggs are deposited in gelatinous masses either on the parent’s tube or on the seafloor.) In females, sperm receptacles may exist at the base of the crown tentacles. Gametes first accumulate in the abdomen and mature, enter the gonoducts (analogous to the human oviducts), then go on to the longitudinal (sometimes referred to as the fecal) groove. They are then directed upwards, out of the mouth, onto a series of ciliated palps, and into the sea. Once the zygotes are released, they float freely for three to four weeks before settling down.”

If you would like to see pictures of the giant feather duster worm, check out Google images and just type in “giant feather duster worm.” You will certainly get an eyefull!

About Earthworms

There are literally thousands of different worm species and more than 2,700 species of earthworms alone on earth. Because there are so many different species of earthworms, identifying earthworms can be a challenge. This is not to say it’s impossible. There are several key characteristics used to identify earthworms. Just a few of the characteristics used to identify earthworms include: Genital tumescene (GT), the Tubercula pubertatis (TP), and the Clitellum.

The clitellum of adult earthworms contains features called genital tumescence, and tubercula pubertatis. The clitellum features, the male pores, and female pores are found above the clitellum and are all parts of the earthworm reproductive system. The earthworm also has “setae” which are tiny hair-like projections that are arranged in rows along the earthworm body. The setae are used are used for locomotion by the earthworm. The prostomium is the earthworm mouth. The size, shape, and position of the different characteristics of the worm are different in different species of earthworms and will help you to identify the species of earthworm you may be dealing with.

Earthworms belong to one of several different types of ecological groups. There are three broad ecological groups that have been identified for earthworms including: epigeic, endogeic, and anecic. The groups are based on what the earthworms eat and where they tend to live in the soil. The epigeic group is a litter feeder, litter dweller, pigmented, small in size, and it doesn’t burrow. The endogeic group consists of rich soil feeders, topsoil dwellers, has no pigmentation, burrows horizontally, and it is small in size. The anecic consists of litter and soil feeders, soil dwellers, dorsally pigmented bodies, extensive vertical burrows, and a large size. Size and color are usually good distinguishers for adult earthworms.

For more information about earthworms, you can download an online earthworm identification key by clicking here to visit The Backyard Nature websites key. To access an online field guide to earthworms, click here.

Christmas tree worms can be quite pleasing to the eye. It is Christmas tree-shaped with dazzling twin spirals of plumes used for feeding and respiration. This serpulid tube-dwelling worm is one of the most widely recognized sedentary polychaete worms in the world. The cone-shaped worm comes in many colors including orange, yellow, blue, and white. With an average 3.8 cm in span, Christmas tree worms are small in size but because of their beauty, shape, and color, they are easily spotted. Their colorful plumes, or tentacles are used for respiration and for passive feeding on suspended food particles and plankton in the water. Though the plumes are visible, most of the worm is anchored in its burrow that it bores into a live calcareous coral.

If you approach a Christmas tree worm, they will sense your presence immediately. They are extremely sensitive to disturbances and will rapidly retract into the burrow at the slightest touch or passing shadow. They typically re-emerge a minute later, very slowly, to test the water before fully extending their plumes again.

Christmas tree worms feed by using radioles. Radioles are hair-like appendages that circle outward from the central spine to catch phytoplankton floating in the water column. Once the worm catches the food, it is then passed down the food groove by the feeding pinnules. The feeding pinnules are ciliary tracts or tiny hair-like extensions on the surface of cells that generate water currents to move food or mucus. The food particles are sorted, but larger particles are discarded. Any sand grains that the worm collects are directed to storage sacs to be used later for tube building.

Christmas Tree Worms and your Home Aquarium

While Christmas tree worms make a beautiful addition to any home aquarium, most die within few months due to the improper care and lack of natural surroundings. To give your Christmas tree worms the best chance at a long life, follow the recommendations below.

Recommended Water parameters for keeping Christmas tree worms

PH: 8.2-8.3
Temperature: 77-79F
Ammonia: zero
Nitrite: zero
Nitrate: zero
Specific Gravity: 1.021-1.026
Dissolved Oxygen: 7-8 ppm
Calcium: 400-450 ppm
Phosphates: zero
KH: A natural seawater level of 7 dKH
Redox Potential: 350-400mv

For pictures of Christmas tree worms and a video of a Christmas tree worm retracting click here to visit Reefbuilders.com.

Horsehair worms belong to the roundworm family and they earned the name because they look just like the thin hair of a horse tail. Horsehair worms are typically dark brown in color, but some are tan, yellow or black. They usually peak during the late summer as well as during the fall months. Finding horsehair worms in odd places is not uncommon. They have been spotted emerging from a cricket on the kitchen floor of homes or in the toilet after a cricket has been dumped there, and they have even been spotted in pets water bowls. They can also be found swimming around in lakes, rivers, streams, and garden ponds.

The life cycle begins when a male and female horsehair worm mate in soil or freshwater. The female can lay as many as 10 million eggs. She typically lays her eggs in water plants. Once the eggs hatch into larvae, they live inside cysts in vegetation — vegetation that is ingested by crickets, grasshoppers and other insects or bugs. Once ingested, the cysts dissolve inside of the grasshopper or cricket gut. The parasite makes its way into the body cavity of the insect where it absorbs nutrients from the insects’ food through the body wall. The horsehair worm is so thin that it can develop and grow to its maximum length inside the body cavity of small cricket. However, the usual length of time that a horsehair worm will develop inside the host is 4-20 weeks. Amazingly, once the horsehair worm reaches maturity inside of the host, it can live out the rest of its life from the nutrients and energy obtained from the host.

Another amazing thing about the horsehair worm is its ability to manipulate its body into many forms. The horsehair worm can even twist itself into a ball that resembles a Gordian knot. Hence the name, Gordian worm.

When the horsehair worm is ready to exit its host, usually when the host is near or in water, it will wiggle out of the nearest opening. This is not always the case, however. They have also been known to exit on dry land, of course. Once the parasite exits the body of an insect, this emerging actually completes the life cycle of the horsehair worm. If you dare, you can witness the horsehair worm exiting the body of a cricket here. Fair warning, its not a pretty sight.

Some tube worm species congregate at fissures on the ocean floor, including hydrothermal, or heat, vents in the Pacific Ocean. They’ve also been studied near cold, or hydrocarbon seeps, in the Gulf of Mexico. These fissures allow water to rush downward and interact with rocks, which creates a mineral release. The uprush brings nutrients swirling around the tube worms and other deep-dwelling creatures.

Recent discoveries include tube worms that establish themselves on dead whales. They produce the bacteria that break down bone structure. Smaller aquarium species and those found in bogs and marshes are equally fascinating in behavior and appearance.

Body structure and growth habits are a continuing source of interest. At the cold seeps, they may grow slowly over decades. At heat fissures, they mature rapidly to giant sizes of 8-15 feet. Categorization is also confusing. Some fall into the segmented worm group while others are closely related, but with a well-defined solid outer tube. Those that dwell along the ocean floor are sometimes grouped as “pogonophora,” which means beard-bearer in Greek.

Despite some conflicting information and argument, tube worms show some amazing characteristics in body structure. In its simplicity, the worm develops a calcified tube from specialized skin cells. This protective outer layer harbors a spongy bacteria-filled interior. Some believe that while still young, tube worms have an underdeveloped mouth and digestive tract that forms the basis for adult survival. The deep-sea worms apparently lose this part of their anatomy with age.

Bright plumes give them an identity as well as absorption capabilities. Hemoglobin adds red coloration to the feathery tips, which attracts sulfides and other goodies. Once inside, bacteria convert the hydrogen sulfide for nourishment. The downside is that these same beauty-enhancing tentacles are also attractive nibbling for other creatures.

Tube worm species reproduce in different, and still odd, ways. Some species release young worms or are asexual, while others may leave their tube entirely for mating. For the whale-dwellers, females harbor tiny male worms within their bodies. Once the carcass is consumed, the adult tube worms die. First, however, eggs are produced and released to gain a new start at another site.

In the larvae stage, blood worms in the insect group can grow to an inch long. They feed on decaying animal and plant matter. Once established in sewage plants, they are also capable of breaking down human waste. Blood worm larvae also get credit for consuming bacteria in sludgy areas. The hemoglobin in their bodies keeps oxygen levels high, and they need very little air to survive. Blood worms breathe through gills.

In the adult stage, the insects do not bite and are often seen in large swarms. Birds find them especially attractive.

Some anglers and aquarium owner harvest blood worm eggs and nurture them through the larval stage. Their size is a favorite of discus, especially when dried and frozen. Adults lay the eggs in ponds and lakes. Each batch looks like a blob of gelatin. They are also abundant in stagnant pools of fresh water. As larvae they burrow into the mud, thus staying away from light sources. When the larvae are exposed during the day, they construct mini-tubes for protection. Most harvesters will scoop them out of the mud at night when the worm bodies are exposed.

Experts warn that blood worm larvae and eggs should only harvested from bodies of water that carry no fish. These generally carry no disease. When they inhabit space with any fish species, they become what is known as a secondary host to some marine diseases.

Once the blood worms are harvested, they should be refrigerated or frozen. Some choose to allow the worms to reach adulthood and continue the mating process. Midges do not eat, so there is no concern for providing food; just maintaining a contained space. These flying insects can be a nuisance indoors.

Fish find blood worms very appealing, and in many cases irresistible. Minnows and guppies are often fed blood worms. When purchasing blood worms, they must remain frozen before feeding. Once thawed, they are ruined unless consumed. Also, blood worms that have not been handled properly through the collection process can kill fish.

Some people have also exhibited an allergic reaction to the powdery residue from freeze-dried blood worms. Avoid inhalation or frequent handling of frozen worms.

The segmented worm group also burrows in mud. Their gills are finger-like projections. When warmer tides change in or around June, the adults reach the surface and spawn. The male releases sperm, the female’s body bursts, which leaves the eggs afloat and both adults die.

Worms at any stage can be refrigerated in a breathable bag. The safest way to handle these worms is to cut them into pieces and use as bait. These creatures bite and the pain will vary depending on the size of the blood worm. They are a favorite marine worm that is used to catch both freshwater and saltwater fishes, including perch, catfish, and flounder.

Planarians require a moist environment, whether it’s fresh or saltwater. They are not parasitic and commonly inhabit coral reefs. Flukes and tapeworms are parasites and, throughout their life cycles, will seek other hosts.

The flatworm anatomy will vary among the many species, most of which do not have common names. They have no lungs nor do they possess a circulatory system, although some feature a complex branching system to disperse nutrients. Their flat bodies allow them to ingest oxygen across the surface. Their thin profile is composed of three cell layers: endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm.

Even more interesting, however, is the fact that they have a single body opening – the mouth. What goes in must, after digestion, come out in the same direction. Flatworms do have a system for controlling water absorption. They can excrete some unwanted materials through what are called “flame cells.” These bear tiny hairs, or cilia, that act as filters.

In fact, flatworms can be voracious predators. Before any food is consumed, flatworms coat it in enzymes that break down the cell structures. They can literally attack earthworms in great numbers and turn them to mush before sucking the remains into their intestinal system.

Some flatworms are invisible to the naked eye while others, such as the tapeworm, can reach several feet lengthwise. Most have two brains but these amount to nothing more than nerve bundles, known as ganglia. They can sense light and dark through two eyespots.

Marine flatworms, or polyclads, are also fascinating. Many are blessed with brilliant colors, and may be mistaken for nudibranches. Their bodies produce a poison that keeps most predators at bay. They can be incredible hunters and scavengers. In water, they may prey on fish, often endangering entire hatcheries. The flat worms attach to their hosts and eat through the skin.

Flatworms continue to fascinate researchers. Planarians are commonly used in biology classes. There is some debate as to a definitive classification. Few fossil records exist that precisely detail flatworm structure and habits.

There are two kinds of bristle worms: Errantia, which swim, crawl, or burrow for their food; and Sedentaria, which live within a permanent tube in the sand, and wait for food to come to them. The sedentary species burrow through the sand and extend their mouths, which are surrounded by mucus. Particles stick to the mucus, are drawn into the body, and pass through the gut where they are digested. Some of the mobile varieties have scissor-like teeth which they use to cut off bits of algae or dead animals they happen across, while others have jaws they use to kill living prey.

Most bristle worms reproduce by shedding sperm and eggs into the water, where they are then fertilized. The eggs and sperm are produced in the worm’s back section, and released during a specific combination of the tide, moon phase, and water temperature. After fertilization, the eggs grow into swimming larvae, and once they have about nine segments, they leave that water and start searching for a place to settle.

There are nearly 10,000 known species of bristle worm, including:

The clamworm (nereis succinea) is a mobile species, and uses its proboscis (a needle-like protrusion) to grab and draw prey into its mouth. Clamworms usually feed on other worms, dead fish or algae. The clamworm’s predators include bottom-feeding fishes and crustaceans; to protect itself, the clamworm secretes a mucus-like substance that hardens around its body, but from which it can come and go easily.

The glassy tubeworm (spiochaetopterus oculatus) is a sedentary tube-builder, with palps that are longer than in other worms, and resemble tentacles. The glassy tubeworm constructs transparent, ringed, vertical tubes in the sand, and uses its palps to grab prey that move toward it. The glassy tubeworm is smaller than other bristleworms, being no more than about two inches long.

The red-gilled mud worm (marenzellaria viridis) is one of the larger species, at about four inches or more in length. They are often found in sandy, intertidal areas, where they construct mucus-based tubes covered in mud. They feed by extending their heads and grabbing prey with their palps.

These are just a few examples of the bristle worm. Bristle worms are a diverse lot, from benign to pain-inflicting, from passive to aggressive, and from ugly to cute, but they are always interesting.

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Well, both, in a sense. Leeches are annelids, or segmented worms, a group that also includes the earthworm. All leeches have 34 segments, a sucker at each end of their bodies, and most have three jaws that make a Y-shaped incision. All feed off the blood of host organisms.

There are three main classes of leeches: Gnatbobdellida, or jawed leeches, use teeth to bite the host, and secrete hirudin, which prevents the blood from clotting. Rhyncobdellida, or jawless leeches, insert a needle-like protrusion called a proboscis into the host. They also secrete an enzyme called hemetin, which dissolves blood clots. Pharyngobdellida have no jaws or teeth, instead swallowing their prey whole. They feed mainly on small invertebrates.

Leeches are primarily found in water, particularly shallow ponds, marshes, and lakes. Most are nocturnal and favor dark places such as the shady areas of ponds, or underneath rocks or logs. They mate during the spring, and the young stay cocooned until summer. Though leeches are predators, they are also prey, for animals such as fish, turtles, and ducks and other birds. Leeches usually prey on invertebrates and small vertebrates such as fish and reptiles, but will also attach to humans. Leeches can ingest several times their weight in blood, and because their digestion is slow, they can survive several months without feeding.

Leeches have sensory organs on their heads and bodies that allow them to detect movement, as well as changes in light and temperature. They also have chemical receptors on the head that allow them to smell, as well as one or more pairs of eyes. Leeches are hermaphrodites – they have both male and female sex organs. Leeches, like their earthworm cousins, have a clitellum, an area of thickened skin that is only visible during mating. Leeches reproduce by intertwining their bodies and depositing sperm into the other’s clitellar area. After fertilization, the eggs are enveloped in a cocoon, which passes out of the leech’s body, and is either buried, or attached to a rock, log or leaf. The young hatch several weeks or months later, as miniature versions of the adults. Leeches die after reproducing once or twice.

For centuries, leeches were used for medical bloodletting, which wasn’t very effective, though it was widespread. The practice was abandoned for several years, but recently, medical researchers have rediscovered its benefits. Leeches produce several medically beneficial substances – including anti-coagulants and anesthetics – that can be used for everything from surgery to treating heart attacks and strokes.

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