Saltwater Feather Duster Worm
Sabellidae or feather duster worms are a family of marine polychaete tube worms characterized by protruding feathery branchiae.
Saltwater feather duster worm. Feather duster worms are members of the phylum annelida the segmented worms which includes the common earthworm. Hawaiian feather dusters secrete mucous that bits of substrate adhere to and that produces a cocoon like structure described as being similar in look and feel to heavy paper or leather. Posted by unknown on 17th apr 2020 ordered 2 sent me 2 adjoined when expected and wanted 2 separate.
The feather dusters belong to the class polychaeta one of the four classes of annelids. They then have a feathery crown that peeks out filtering the water column for food using its specialized tentacles. Sabellids build tubes out of a tough parchment like exudate strengthened with sand and bits of shell.
Their oldest fossils are known from the early jurassic. Since the feather duster worm is a substrate attached filter feeder it won t be able to find its own meals so you have to bring dinner to them by adding direct dose feeding. Sabellidae can be found in subtidal habitats around the world.
The polychaetes literally many hairs have segmented bodies and each segment bears two or more appendages called parapodia. The feather duster sabellastarte giganteus also known as the fan worm is a marine segmented worm that attaches its calcium carbonate tube to a rocky or sandy substrate by its base. The feather duster is usually found in the coral rubble at the base of the reef aquarium with some of the rubble being incorporated into its parchment like tube.
Feather dusters reef safe feather dusters are actually filter feeding worms that live in a paper like or cement like tube often encased in rock or the sand most that come in as hitchhikers will do just fine in the home aquarium but larger ones sold at stores often slowly perish in all but the largest aquariums likely from a lack of food. Likewise intermittent stirring of the sandbed helps to suspend settled detritus back up into the water column where the worms can access it. When feeding the hawaiian feather duster turn off protein skimmers for about one hour to make sure targeted food stays put.
The worm lives inside this protective tube. Posted by mike on 23rd apr 2020 they are beautiful. It needs to be housed in a well established reef system as it is dependent upon plankton for its diet.
