Feather Duster Worm

The feather duster worm is a segmented worm that lives in a leathery tube it builds from mud and mucus. The brown–white banded crown, 8–10 cm across, that it opens from the end of the tube serves as both a breathing and a feeding organ. When a shadow falls on it or it is touched, it instantly pulls its crown into the tube and opens it again a few minutes later. Under sudden water changes or stress it may drop its crown entirely; if conditions improve it grows a new one within weeks. Those on the market are wild-collected.

• A mature aquarium of 75 liters or more; the end of the tube is placed in a rock crevice or in the sand.
• Salinity specific gravity 1.023–1.026, pH 8.1–8.4, temperature 24–27°C.
• Reef safe; it does not touch corals or other animals. Moderate flow helps it feed.
• It should be acclimated by the drip method over at least 1 hour; copper-based medications are lethal.

A filter feeder; it feeds on phytoplankton, bacteria and fine suspended particles. In mature aquariums where fish are fed it usually finds enough food; in clean, lightly stocked aquariums phytoplankton or fine powdered food should be given a few times a week.

Completely peaceful and rarely moves from its spot. Fish that pick at its crown may not kill it, but they keep it constantly stressed.

Good companions: clownfish, gobies, cardinalfish; shrimp, snails.

Avoid: butterflyfish and angelfish, wrasses, hawkfish; the chocolate chip sea star.