New Jersey Scuba Diving

Tube Worms

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.

Fan Worms
Myxicola infundibulum or something similar - note how the tentacles are joined almost to the ends, with no eyespots.
Fan Worms
Fan Worms are extremely sensitive, and withdraw into their tubes at the slightest disturbance, leaving behind a ball of mucous.
terebellid worm
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
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.

Snorkel

no snorkel

Here is an item that is useful in the tropics, but much less so around here. This is because the water here is not nearly as crystal clear as in the tropics, and the depths are often greater. Therefore it is unlikely you will be able to see anything interesting below from the surface.

On a boat dive, a snorkel is totally useless - leave it home. Chances are, the captain and crew will tell you to take it off anyway. The same is generally true for inlet diving where the entry is steep. A snorkel is just one extra thing to get tangled up, and you will probably have enough of that already. A snorkel might be useful in a surface swim from the beach out to a close-in dive site, if it is a good one with purge valve or a dry valve to keep the water out entirely. Even then, you are better off doing a backstroke out to the site, with your head out of the water so you can navigate by landmarks, or an underwater swim if the currents are favorable.

More: Snorkel ...

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I make no claim as to the accuracy, validity, or appropriateness of any information found in this website. I will not be responsible for the consequences of any action that is based upon information found here. Scuba diving is an adventure sport, and as always, you alone are responsible for your own safety and well being.

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