Are Christmas Tree Worms Endangered

10 facts about christmas tree worms.

Are christmas tree worms endangered. These animals are colorful and can be red orange yellow blue and white. Christmas tree worms fir tree like appendages are also used for respiration collecting oxygen from the currents. Those minerals are a key ingredient in not just the calcareous tubes of christmas tree worms but also the shells of oysters clams sea urchins and countless other marine animals.

They aren t very big averaging about 1 5 inches in length. Christmas tree worms come in a variety of bright colors. References further research.

Potential threats to the worms include habitat loss climate change and ocean acidification which could affect their ability to build their calcareous tubes. We love learning about sea creatures we use to spot while snorkeling and hope you share our passion. The plumes which are the worm s tentacles may occur in varieties of orange yellow blue and white and can easily be spotted even though it is tiny spanning an average of 3 8 cm 1 5.

Up to two thirds of the worm is anchored in the coral when its plumes are visible. They are some of the most widely recognized polychaetes or marine burrowing segmented worms out there. The christmas tree shown here are the animal s radioles which can be up to about 1 1 2 inches across.

Status many of the porites genus are on the iucn red list of endangered species. While they aren t harvested for food they are popular with divers and underwater photographers and may be harvested for the aquarium trade. With caribbean spelled out all year long the christmas tree worm spirobranchus giganteus is a marine annelid existing in several displays of colour.

Christmas tree worms have been found burrowing into giant clams instead of coral. Christmas tree worms rarely if ever move from. Unep world conservation monitoring centre.