Biology:Spirobranchus spinosus
| Spirobranchus spinosus | |
|---|---|
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| Pacific Grove, California, 2026 | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Annelida |
| Clade: | Pleistoannelida |
| Subclass: | Sedentaria |
| Order: | Sabellida |
| Family: | Serpulidae |
| Genus: | Spirobranchus |
| Species: | S. spinosus
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| Binomial name | |
| Spirobranchus spinosus Moore, 1923
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| Synonyms | |
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Spirobranchus spinosus, commonly referred to as the California Christmas tree worm, is a species of tube-building annelid fanworms in the family Serpulidae.[1][2]
Description
The most visible feature of Spirobranchus spinosus is its pair of spiral radiole bundles, or gills, which each coil in three tiers and form a conical shape that resembles a Christmas tree, inspiring the common name.[2] The gill plumes extend around 2.5 cm,[3] and are composed of around 45 densely packed segments,[2] which appear in a wide variety of vibrant colors, including blue, red, pink, orange, and yellow.[4] The worm's body is encased in a white or cream-colored calcareous tube, into which it can retract the gills behind its operculum. The operculum is pink, circular and similarly calcareous.[2]
Natural history
Like all serpulid polychaetes, the California Christmas tree worm is a sessile suspension feeder that filters plankton and other organic matter from the water using its radioles.[5][6] The radioles are also used for respiration. Reproduction occurs through broadcast spawning, where eggs and sperm are released into the water column for external fertilization. First, the female produces pheromones, which signal males to shed their sperm in a process called swarming.[3] After fertilization, the eggs develop into planktonic larvae, which eventually settle onto rock substrates in the intertidal or subtidal up to a depth of 12 meters.[3]
Etymology
The genus name Spirobranchus means spiral gill. The specific epithet spinosus means spiny.
References
- ↑ WoRMS. "Spirobranchus spinosus Moore, 1923". http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=334836.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Moore, J Percy (1911). "The polychaetous annelids dredged by the USS" Albatross" off the coast of Southern California in 1904: III. Euphrosynidae to Goniadidae". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia: 234--318. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/12425.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Spirobranchus spinosus (Moore, 1923)". https://www.sealifebase.ca/FieldGuide/FieldGuideSummary.php?GenusName=Spirobranchus&SpeciesName=spinosus&pda=&sps=.
- ↑ Wilkins, Kassidy (May 30, 2023). "Christmas Tree Worms: Tropical Residents in the Tide Pools". https://thetideisout.com/2023/05/30/christmas-tree-worms-the-tide-pools-tropical-residents/.
- ↑ Sánchez‐Ovando, Juan Pablo; Díaz, Fernando; Norzagaray‐López, Orión; Lafarga‐De la Cruz, Fabiola; Angeles‐Gonzalez, Luis Enrique; Benítez‐Villalobos, Francisco; Re‐Araujo, Denise (2025). "Metabolic Responses of Christmas Tree Worms (Serpulidae: Spirobranchus) to Thermal Acclimation". Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology 343 (8): 911--920. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jez.70008.
- ↑ Perry, Orly; Sapir, Yuval; Perry, Gad; Hove, Harry Ten; Fine, Maoz (June 2018). "Substrate selection of Christmas tree worms (Spirobranchus spp.) in the Gulf of Eilat, Red Sea" (in en). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 98 (4): 791–799. doi:10.1017/S0025315416002022. ISSN 0025-3154. Bibcode: 2018JMBUK..98..791P. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-marine-biological-association-of-the-united-kingdom/article/substrate-selection-of-christmas-tree-worms-spirobranchus-spp-in-the-gulf-of-eilat-red-sea/CBEDA606343BDBA72CD1CAF21C309C6F.
Wikidata ☰ Q1895699 entry
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