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worms
text index | photo
index
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worms > Phylum Annelida >
Class Polychaeta
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| Long
bristleworm Diopatra sp.* Family Onuphidae updated Nov 08 Where seen? Sometimes, this long bristleworm is seen on the shore, headless and bleeding, usually on our Northern shores near seagrasses. It is the Solitary tubeworm, here's the page with the tubes. Perhaps it was pulled out by feeding birds? There's a lot that we still have to learn about our worms and our shores. Features: About 20-30cm long. Body flattened and pink to dark red. On the upper part of the body there are reddish feathery appendages the sides which are longer than the bristles on the body. The head has several tentacles. According to Leslie Harris, these worms belong to Family Onuphidae, genus Diopatra. This is the only genus in the family with these feathery appendages (branchiae with spiraled filaments around a central stem). Michell Ng shares that the one she saw on Changi on a sandy stretch was spinning in the water, making figure 8 shapes. After taking the photos, when she released it, it proceeded to burrow into the sand. |
 Chek Jawa, Jan 03  Head chewed off? |
 Headless Chek Jawa, Mar 04 |
 Headless Chek Jawa, Feb 02 |
 Feathery appendages on the sides |
Feathery red bristleworms on Singapore shores
 Changi, Nov 08 |
 Photos shared by Michell Ng. |
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 Chek Jawa, Jan 03  This one still has its head. |
 Changi, Jul 04  In its tube |
 Chek Jawa, Jan 06  The thick leathery tube. |
*Species are difficult to positively identify without close examination.
On this website, they are grouped by external features for convenience of display.
| Acknowledgement With grateful thanks to Leslie H. Harris of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County for comments on this worm and identification of the worm out of the tube! |
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