Christmas Tree Worms Fun Facts
After a bit of size sifting the worm moves any tasty morsels conveyor style to the mouth but the.
Christmas tree worms fun facts. 10 facts about christmas tree worms. Christmas tree shaped marine worms the tubular segments of the christmas tree worm species are lined with tiny appendages chaeta that help with movement. They really look like tiny colorful trees.
An angel or star might be placed at the top of the tree to represent the archangel gabriel or the star of bethlehem. The united states national christmas tree has been lit each year since 1923 on the south lawn of the white house. Learn about the life and times of the christmas tree worm classification.
The christmas tree worm also referred to as a jewel stone is a beautifully colored tube dwelling worm with two spiraling plumes that resemble two beautifully colored christmas trees. Because it does not move outside its tube this worm does not have any specialized appendages for movement or swimming. Christmas tree worms.
The christmas tree worm feeds by trapping plankton and other small particles on their plumes. It has a tubular segmented body of an approximate length of 3 8 cm 1 5 in covered with chaetae small appendages that aid the worm s mobility. Christmas tree worms spirobranchus giganteus are an abundant denizen of tropical reefs around the globe and the extravagant spiraling gills that are its namesake provide bursts of vibrant color to the reef landscape.
Habitat of the christmas tree worm. The seuss style plumes you see above which come in an array of colour morphs are called crowns and. Christmas tree worms live on shallow tropical coral reefs.
They spend their whole life on the same coral. As it extends outwards through the tube the multicolored spirals create feeding structures and function as their respiratory system or gills. Each worm has two brightly colored crowns that protrude from its tube like body.