Christmas Tree Worm Characteristics

Christmas tree worms are filter feeders.

Christmas tree worm characteristics. They come in many attractive colors including green blue golden yellow yellow purple and pink. Updated july 09 2019 the christmas tree worm is a colorful marine worm with beautiful spiraling plumes that resemble a fir tree. This widespread marine worm spirobranchus giganteus gets its holiday nickname from its gills.

They filter the small microorganisms from the water by trapping on their plumes and deposit straight into the digestive tract. Christmas tree worm facts fun and interesting sea worm information endangered status. Population currently stable threats.

These animals can be a variety of colors including red orange yellow blue and white. They aren t very big averaging about 1 5 inches in length. A wildly colored pair of tapering feathery spires.

Encrusting species of porites like the boulder coral often enter the aquarium trade on live rock or as a christmas tree worm rock. These are highly modified prostomial palps which are specialized mouth appendages. Each spiral is composed of feather like tentacles called radioles which are heavily ciliated and cause any prey.

Christmas tree worms spirobranchus giganteus are an abundant denizen of tropical reefs around the globe and the extravagant spiraling gills that are its namesake provide bursts of vibrant color to the reef landscape. The worms most distinct features are two crowns shaped like christmas trees. The christmas tree shape shown in the image is the animal s radioles which can be up to about 1 1 2 inches in diameter.

Invertebrate average life cycle. However because of their distinctive shape beauty and color these worms are easily spotted. But that he adds is just part of their charm.