Peacock Worm

Overview

The Peacock Worm is a sedentary marine polychaete known for its striking, feathery crown of tentacles that resembles a colorful fan. It lives permanently within a flexible, mud-based tube that it constructs and maintains, often protruding from sandy or muddy seabeds.

Appearance

This worm has a long, slender body that can reach up to 30 cm in length, composed of hundreds of small segments. Its most prominent feature is the crown, consisting of two semi-circular lobes of feathery radioles. These tentacles are typically banded in vibrant shades of red, brown, purple, or orange. When threatened by shadows or water movement, the worm rapidly retracts this delicate crown into its tube for protection.

Distribution & habitat

Peacock Worms are widely distributed across the northeastern Atlantic, the English Channel, the North Sea, and the Mediterranean. They thrive in shallow, tidal waters, often anchoring their tubes to stones, shipwrecks, or other hard surfaces within soft sediments like sand, mud, or gravel. They are frequently found in dense groupings that can create meadow-like colonies on the seafloor.

Feeding

As a suspension feeder, the worm extends its crown into the water column to capture food. Tiny cilia on the tentacles circulate water and trap organic particles and plankton. The worm sorts these particles: the smallest are consumed, while larger items are rejected or mixed with mucus to reinforce and extend its tube.