Range: Marine waters worldwide at all depths

Habitat: The seafloor

Size: Body 6 inches (15 cm) long; Tentacles up to 3 feet (91 cm) long

Diet: Detritus and small organic particles

Threats: Fish, crustaceans, sea stars, sea snails, urchins, and more

Lifespan: Unknown

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing spaghetti worms. As their name implies, these invertebrates get their common name from their spaghetti-like appearance, but this is only a surface-level observation. Spaghetti worms are marine segmented worms. They have a segmented body, much like an earthworm, that is often hidden from view. They're polychaetes, which are otherwise known as bristle worms. They use small bristles on their segments to hold their body inside a tube or crevice while their namesake trailing tentacles are positioned outside of the tube where they can collect food. Spaghetti worms are often white or yellow in color but they can also appear pink, purple, orange, and more! The worm's body is typically no longer than 6 inches (15 cm) in length, but their tentacles can reach as much as 3 feet (91 m) long!

Spaghetti worms use their tentacles to collect food. Detritus and other small particles floating in the water column land on the tentacles. If the particles are small, they're transported to the body through a groove running down the tentacle that's lined with small, hair-like structures that guide the particle along. If a piece of food is larger, it's directly brought to the worm's mouth with the tentacle acting like a lasso around it. Sometimes other creatures live inside the worm's tube, such as small crustaceans. The tube provides the animal protection and the animal may in turn feed the worm with its food scraps. Spaghetti worms have dozens of tentacles, and they grow back if they're removed. Many predators such as fish, crustaceans, sea stars, urchins, and sometimes even birds eat spaghetti worm tentacles!

These invertebrates live in marine waters around the world. They exist from shallow lagoons to the ocean’s abyss. They're typically benthic animals, meaning they spend their time on the seafloor. Most of them stay inside their tubes their entire life. The tube is made from secretions made by the worm mixed with debris from the environment around them such as shells, sand, and rocks. These are sedentary spaghetti worms. Some species, however, actually crawl along the ocean's bottom, using their tentacles to drag them across the seafloor! There are hundreds of classified spaghetti worms species, and likely many more to be discovered. More information could show they have other modes of living, as well!

Spaghetti worms reproduce by spawning. Males and females release their reproductive material into the water column where it mixes and the eggs become fertilized. Larvae hatch from the eggs and float, suspended in the water, surviving off their yolk until they settle to the seafloor. Here, they'll develop into an adult and find a place to spend their days. Something odd to note about spaghetti worms, however, is that they release their gametes whether or not an individual of the opposite sex is present. Most animals don't expend energy needlessly, but even without a guarantee their genes will be passed on, they still try to reproduce!

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