#polychaeta

[polychaete-of-the-day]

Today we have yet another instance of I Really Like Green Worms. Unidentified nereid.

Photo by Yolanda Evans

[spongerard]

He/they Santa as coral-dwelling Christmas Tree Worm Spirobranchus giganteus

[every-day-creechur]

Notopygos albiseta

A species of bristle worm found around Hawai'i, the Marshall Islands and other Pacific islands.

image by uwkwaj

[mobulavermis]

Tomopteris helgolandica

[todropscience]

Pectinereis strickrotti is a recently described nereidid polychaete worm found in the coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean, found at methane seeps off the coast of Costa Rica. Specimens of Pectinereis strickrotti had been observed dating back to 2009 swimming just above the seafloor at ~1,000 m depth but were not successfully captured until 2018.

This species is known for its distinctive, fan-like parapodia, which are used for both locomotion, as swimming, and respiration. This polychaete worm inhabits sandy or muddy substrates, where it burrows and forms a protective tube. Its feeding strategy is largely suspension-based, capturing plankton and organic material from the water column using its elaborately branched tentacles. The species plays an important ecological role by contributing to the sediment's bioturbation, enhancing nutrient cycling in its habitat. As a bioindicator, P. strickrotti's presence and health can reflect changes in the quality of coastal ecosystems, especially regarding pollution levels and environmental disturbances.

Gifs extracted from video: Tulio F. Villalobos-Guerrero,

Reference (Open Access): Villalobos-Guerrero et al., 2024. A remarkable new deep-sea nereidid (Annelida: Nereididae) with gills. PlosONE

[terranlifeform]

King ragworm (Alitta virens) in the White Sea, Russia

Alexander Semenov

[strawlessandbraless]

Tomopterids, the ethereal glow worms of the deep 💡🐛

Tomopterids are marine planktonic polychaetes—commonly known as Gossamer Worms — that swim in the water column, never touching the seafloor. Growing anywhere between 1 cm and 30 cm long. They are also one of the very few marine creatures that can produce yellow light, spewing their bioluminescence to scare off predators

Love to sea it 🌊

[coffeenuts]

Alitta virens by Alexander Semenov https://flic.kr/p/2ocVyhA