Feather Duster Worms

ocean · worms · builders · filters

Feathery crowns. Feather duster worms have amazing feathery structures called branchiae that stick out from their tubes. They use these fancy feathers to catch tiny bits of food floating in the water.

Tube builders. These worms make their own homes by building tubes from a tough, parchment-like material they create. They strengthen these tubes by mixing in sand and pieces of broken shells to make them stronger.

Calcium carbonate tubes. Most feather duster worms build parchment tubes, but some special ones called Glomerula make tubes out of calcium carbonate instead, which is the same material that makes up seashells.

Found worldwide. Feather duster worms live in ocean habitats all around the world, and they have been swimming in Earth's oceans since the Early Jurassic period, making them very ancient creatures.