Page 67 - Caribbean Reef Life Demo

CHRISTMAS TREE WORM (Spirobranchus giganteus) < 4 cm / 1.5 in Two spiraling crowns of radioles. Usually found in contrasting shades of purple, white and orange.
Christmas Tree Worms are abundant through- out the Caribbean and come in a wide variety of colors. They are most often found growing from the tops of hard corals. When threatened, a whorl-like crown of radioles allows them to retract very uickly in a spiral motion. nder the crown is a sharp spike that will hurt any sh trying to take a bite, discouraging them from trying again. In front of the crown, elongated sensory organs stick out into the water, protected by a tough plate called an operculum. This plate will act as a lid to cover the hole when the animal is retracted.
Tube-dwelling worms usually grow inside coral heads and they match the rate of growth in their host coral. As the coral grows outwards, the worm builds up more of its protective tube so that it can always have access to the seawater in which it feeds. When found in caves, where no coral growth is taking place, the tube of the worm grows attached to the cave wall. This protective case is made up of calcium carbonate and small particles taken out from the ltered seawater.
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