Tube Worms ~ New Jersey Scuba Diving

Tube Worms

Tube worms live with their bodies buried in tubes that they construct in the soft bottom substrate. Fan Worms ( Sabella spp. and others, 1/8" to 8", right ) are among the most popular sights on tropical coral reefs. Few people realize that they are present in temperate waters as well.

Fan Worms, or "Featherdusters", have a frill of tentacles on the head with which they feed on plankton, and occasionally larger items. Food particles are trapped in sticky mucous and carried down into the mouth. Some Fan Worms have eyespots along the tentacles.

Despite appearances, Fan Worms are not related to any of the other tentacled creatures on this page but are actually polychaetes, related to clam worms.

The head of a terebellid worm on a subtidal mudflat in the Shark River. These are tube worms with long tentacles that spread out over the bottom. Cilia on the tentacles carry microscopic bits of food to the mouth ( see below. ) These worms do not sting like anemones.

terebellid worm anatomy — Tubeworm anatomy

Tube worm burrows in the side of a freshly dug hole. The dark color of the sediment indicates anoxic ( no oxygen ) conditions, which is normal in this sort of muddy bottom.

Cost of Building Reefs

According to a survey conducted by the Division in 1993 and 1994, an average of $2.2 million is expended annually to construct and manage New Jersey's ocean reefs. The management portion of the project, which includes the salaries of State marine biologists who select reef sites, coordinate construction activities, and conduct biological and harvest surveys, and the costs of operating a research vessel and sampling equipment, amounts to approximately $215,000 each year. Funding for management is composed of $161,000 in federal Sportfish Restoration Funds, which are obtained from excise taxes on recreational fishing tackle, and $54,000 in state funding.

New Jersey Scuba Diving

Tube Worms

Plant-like Animals

Artificial Reefs Economics

Cost of Building Reefs