Photo 773, (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda

Attribution © Ken-ichi Ueda
some rights reserved
Uploaded by kueda kueda
Source Flickr
Original http://www.flickr.com/photos/18024068@N00/2874911334
Associated observations

Photos / Sounds

What

California Sandcastle Worm (Phragmatopoma californica)

Observer

kueda

Date

September 20, 2008 11:47 AM PDT

Description

Beautiful, beautiful worms. Need to look them up. Fairly sure I've seen (and possible photographed) these before. Time to learn them...

Update: after consulting Light's, Kozloff, BPT, and this dead ringer of a photo at CalPhotos I think this is probably Phragmatopoma californica, the common sandcastle worm. Can anyone confirm? Each tube was no more than 1-3 cm long. Observed in a kelp holdfast at ~30 ft depth, off Pacific Grove, CA.

Also of note: an NYTimes article on researchers studying this worms sand adhesive for biomedical applications (or perhaps "biomedical inspiration" would be more accurate). Via oceanwire.

Sizes
Copyright

Ken-ichi Ueda