Anybody ID this Tube worm?

[Wy Renegade]

Had this guy for about three years now. It's grown from a very small tube worm to about 3/4" in diameter with a hard calcerous tube about 3 or 4" in length. Just wondering if anybody knows the genus species on this one.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Maybe?

Serpula vermicularis

 

[akabryanhall]

Not sure the species but it's coloration is striking! Nice piece@

 

[Paul_N]

Maybe?

Serpula vermicularis

Dunno but on a search all the images I came across where just variations of red in color. They had no other colors like yours does.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Not sure the species but it's coloration is striking! Nice piece@

Thanks, wish I could get a clearer picture, but tough to focus on the "feathers"

Dunno but on a search all the images I came across where just variations of red in color. They had no other colors like yours does.

Thanks Paul, not sure either, found one that had some white in it, but still doesn't look quite the same.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Here's a picture of one of its offspring;

 

[Wy Renegade]

This one looks a bit more like the original

Serpula vermicularis - Bing Images

 

[Speg]

It looks a lot like one I have in my tank...the thing has gone through a lot and has been in my tank for about as long as I can remember..it's got to be at least 7 years old.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Sounds similar, this one has also been through a lot; three system changes over the time I've had it. From 20gal high reef, to 20gal high frag tank, back to 20gal high reef LOL. Its still in there kicking though, and just keeps getting bigger.

 

[Speg]

Yeah, I went through a stage where I was done with the hobby and wouldn't do top-offs, water changes, or even feed the tank...that lasted for a while...moved the tank to my apartment and set it up again.... and yet this worm is still alive...and grows! I've found that if the rock its on gets turned in an area it doesn't like then it will tend to grow quicker to an area it's more happy.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Interesting observation. I noticed that mine has grown about halfway around the rock it is one, but I really didn't pay much attention to when the growth occurred. I did try moving one of the "offspring" into another tank that had grown on a snail shell, but unfortunately it dropped down into the LR, and I lost it :(. I keep looking for another hoping to be able to do it again, but so far no luck.

 

[kershak]

feather duster juvenile to me or coco worm

 

[fsu1dolfan]

Not sure exactly what kind but if that was a hitchhiker nice score....love the colors!

 

[Wy Renegade]

Well that died without a whole lot of help. Somebody suggested Pomatestegus stellatus (the Star Horseshoe worm)

Here's an internet picture - seems sorta close;

Not much info on these . . .

 

[Wy Renegade]

Based on Shimek's description I'm indeed inclined to believe its a member of the family Serpulidae, which would make it a "hard-tubed feather duster", but don't think it is either a Christmas tree worm or a Coco worm.

Found the following info on Pomatostegus stellatus;

Star feather worm
Pomatostegus stellatus
Abildgaard, 1789

Description:
This feather worm has a double fold of radioles that form a U-shaped crown. The opening of the tube has a simple lid (operculum) that consists of a series of discs. The tubes are hard, calcareous. The color of the crown is variable, most common are shades of red, orange, yellow or white. The crown can be almost uniformly colored, or banded.
Size: whole animal up to 10 cm, crowns up to 4 cm.

Habitat:
This feather worm occurs all over the reefs. Tubes usually encased in living coral.
Depth: ranges from 3 m down to 30 m.

Distribution:
Common all over the Caribbean.

Couple good pictures and some more info on this website;
Marine Species Identification Portal : Star feather worm - Pomatostegus stellatus

 

[Anthony Calfo]

I wish I had a more satisfying reply, but it's rather like corals; IDs from image alone are about as accurate as guesswork, truly.

Sure, it is indeed a Serpulid...but thats about as helpful as saying Motipora is an Acroporid. Big family. Biiiiig family of corals. I guess Serpulidae is somewhat easier; there are only a few hundred described species XD

To try to be somewhat helpful here, I'd like to point out that your image is GREAT in that it clearly shows the operculum which distinguishes the hard tube feather from the soft tube varieties (Sabellids).

As for genus...its still a big field of possibilities. Serpulids are circumtropical. Wait...check that, circumtropical and in coldwater habitats (I recently had Catalina/California variety spawn in my Pacific coldwater anemone tank).

Unless you are sure of origin of the rock they are on (versus spawn from rock from another ocean, etc)...this likely wont even get whittled down to genus, my friend.

 

[Wy Renegade]

I wish I had a more satisfying reply, but it's rather like corals; IDs from image alone are about as accurate as guesswork, truly.

Sure, it is indeed a Serpulid...but thats about as helpful as saying Motipora is an Acroporid. Big family. Biiiiig family of corals. I guess Serpulidae is somewhat easier; there are only a few hundred described species XD

To try to be somewhat helpful here, I'd like to point out that your image is GREAT in that it clearly shows the operculum which distinguishes the hard tube feather from the soft tube varieties (Sabellids).

As for genus...its still a big field of possibilities. Serpulids are circumtropical. Wait...check that, circumtropical and in coldwater habitats (I recently had Catalina/California variety spawn in my Pacific coldwater anemone tank).

Unless you are sure of origin of the rock they are on (versus spawn from rock from another ocean, etc)...this likely wont even get whittled down to genus, my friend.

Well shucks! Thanks Anthony for the input, guess I'll just have to settle for the family name. Ah well, regardless, its a pretty dang cool worm.

 

[Michael_dns]

I wish I had a more satisfying reply, but it's rather like corals; IDs from image alone are about as accurate as guesswork, truly.

Sure, it is indeed a Serpulid...but thats about as helpful as saying Motipora is an Acroporid. Big family. Biiiiig family of corals. I guess Serpulidae is somewhat easier; there are only a few hundred described species XD

To try to be somewhat helpful here, I'd like to point out that your image is GREAT in that it clearly shows the operculum which distinguishes the hard tube feather from the soft tube varieties (Sabellids).

As for genus...its still a big field of possibilities. Serpulids are circumtropical. Wait...check that, circumtropical and in coldwater habitats (I recently had Catalina/California variety spawn in my Pacific coldwater anemone tank).

Unless you are sure of origin of the rock they are on (versus spawn from rock from another ocean, etc)...this likely wont even get whittled down to genus, my friend.

Yes I think I have seen a very similar looking animal (not sure of the genus/family etc.) all the way down in New Zealand. They are everywhere here infact. And so far I have only seen a red one