feather-duster worm

feather-duster worm
/fedh"euhr dus'teuhr/
any tube-dwelling polychaete worm of the families Sabellidae and Serpulidae, the numerous species having a crown of feathery tentacles used in feeding and respiration. Also called fan worm, feather worm.

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 any large, segmented marine worm of the family Sabellidae (class Polychaeta, phylum Annelida). The name is also occasionally applied to members of the closely related polychaete family Serpulidae. Sabellids live in long tubes constructed of mud or sand cemented by mucus, whereas serpulids build tubes of calcareous materials. The epithet feather-duster refers to the multicoloured crown of finely divided tentacles that are attached in two groups, one on either side of the worm's head. The worm extends the tentacles for feeding and breathing but quickly retracts them at the first sign of danger. The life cycle includes a free-living, microscopic larval stage that disperses from the parental site and metamorphoses into adult form.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • feather-duster worm — /fedh euhr dus teuhr/ any tube dwelling polychaete worm of the families Sabellidae and Serpulidae, the numerous species having a crown of feathery tentacles used in feeding and respiration. Also called fan worm, feather worm …   Useful english dictionary

  • Social Feather Duster Worm — The Social Feather Duster Worm ( Bispira brunnea ) is a species of marine bristleworm native to the Caribbean Sea. [cite book|title=Marine Flatworms: The World of Polyclads|author=Leslie Newman and Lester Robert Glen… …   Wikipedia

  • feather worm — /ˈfɛðə wɜm/ (say fedhuh werm) noun → fan worm. Also, feather duster worm …  

  • feather worm. — See feather duster worm. * * * …   Universalium

  • feather worm. — See feather duster worm …   Useful english dictionary

  • tube worm — Any of numerous species of sedentary, solitary or colonial, marine worms that spend their entire life in a tube made from special secretions or from sand grains glued together. Found worldwide, tube worms range from less than an inch (25 mm) to… …   Universalium

  • fan worm. — See feather duster worm. [1850 55] * * * …   Universalium

  • peacock worm. — See feather duster worm. * * * …   Universalium

  • fan worm. — See feather duster worm. [1850 55] …   Useful english dictionary

  • peacock worm. — See feather duster worm …   Useful english dictionary

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