Christmas Tree Worm Lifespan

Consequently their life span is much shorter in regions of poor water quality or distressed or disappearing coral habitats.

Christmas tree worm lifespan. But that he adds is just part of their charm. Christmas tree worms have eyes in a really silly place says michael bok. A more typical lifespan is likely to be 10 to 20 years.

These gametes are created within the worm s abdominal segments. Fertilized eggs develop into larvae that live as plankton for nine to 12 days and then settle on coral where they produce a mucus tube that develops into a calcareous tube. Depending on the size and health of the coral reef the worms can live up to forty years though the average is between ten to twenty years.

In coralline areas with optimum environmental conditions their life expectancy is in excess of 30 years. Christmas tree worms fir tree like appendages are also used for respiration collecting oxygen from the currents. If this sounds like a lengthy process biologists have counted the coral layers around them like the rings of a tree to estimate that christmas tree worms can live as long as 30 years sources vary from 20 to 40 years.

This widespread marine worm spirobranchus giganteus gets its holiday nickname from its gills. Christmas tree worm is the common name for a marine worm that lives on tropical coral reefs around the world. Christmas tree worms average only about 1 5 inches in length.

Christmas tree worms come in a variety of bright colors. You won t find spirobranchus giganteus also known as the christmas. Depending on the water and reef conditions they can live up to 40 years.

Their normal lifespan is between 10 20 years. The colorful life span of christmas tree worms are distinctly dependant on their habitat. Up to two thirds of the worm is anchored in the coral when its plumes are visible.