They can be seen in a variety of vibrant colors, including pink, red, yellow, brown, white and blue. Since Christmas tree worms are found living on shallow coral reefs, sunlight reaches them allowing the full spectrum of their colors to be visible. #3: Christmas tree worms brighten up the coral reef. They are extremely important for the worm’s survival as they are used to filter feed particles and draw oxygen from the water. These eye-catching appendages, called crowns, come in a pair and are made up of feather-like radioles, a kind of tentacle. #2: The eye-catching appendages of the Christmas tree wormĬhristmas tree worms get their name from the visible section seen protruding from their burrows. #1: Don’t be fooled by the Christmas tree worm’s size.Īlthough they stand at an average height of just 1.5 inches, the Christmas tree worm is one of the more recognizable invertebrates on coral reefs because of their distinct shape and bright colors.
The Christmas tree worm ( Spirobranchus giganteus) is a species of polychaete marine worm that is most commonly associated with hard corals in shallow tropical coral reefs around the world.ĭiscover some fascinating facts about this species below.
