Christmas Tree Worm

Spirobranchus giganteus

Explore the Christmas Tree Worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

The Christmas Tree Worm is a tube-dwelling marine bristle worm of tropical coral reefs across the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions. Its paired spiral crowns filter plankton from the water and rapidly retract into a calcareous tube when disturbed, while the worm contributes to reef-dwelling invertebrate diversity.

Classification in this archive

Animals › Segmented worms › Bristle worms › Sabellida › Serpulidae › Spirobranchus

Habitat and distribution

Regions in this record: Africa, Asia, North America, Oceania, South America

Demonstration note

[DEMO] Its colourful spiral crowns are used for feeding and breathing, and snap into a tube when danger approaches.