Sabellid worm. Sabellid fan worm (Bispira sp.), showing its many feather-like radioles. This worm inhabits a tube which it constructs from sand grains

---

Sabellid worm. Sabellid fan worm (Bispira sp.), showing its many feather-like radioles. This worm inhabits a tube which it constructs from sand grains, glueing them together with mucus. It possesses a spiral crown of long pink-red radioles which it can roll up and withdraw into the tube when threatened. The radioles are used to trap food particles and to sort through water-borne detritus. Sand grains of suitable size for tube construction are stored in two sacs below the mouth. Photographed off Sabah, Malaysia.

---

Size: 2480px × 3547px
Photo credit: © MATTHEW OLDFIELD/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, annelid, annelida, bispira, bornean, borneo, fan, invertebrate, invertebrates, malaysian, marine, nature, ocean, polychaete, radioles, sabah, sabellid, sea, single, solitary, sp., underwater, wildlife, worm, zoology