Underwater Wednesday: Social Featherduster

The “social featherduster”…what an interesting name for today’s Underwater Wednesday! These marine creatures may resemble a common household cleaning tool, but they’re actually tube worms. Each lives in its own thin tube (as seen in the first photo below) which they can retract into if they sense danger.

©Life as an Artist’s Wife
Social featherduster photographed in Cozumel.



©Life as an Artist’s Wife
Social featherduster photographed in Cozumel.



©Life as an Artist’s Wife
Social featherduster photographed in Cozumel.

Photo Fun Facts:

• Each tube is a little smaller in diameter than the average drinking straw.

• The delicate “feathers” are actually radials that extend out of their tubes to catch food (such as plankton) drifting by.

• When extended, these particular social featherdusters were about three-quarters of an inch to an inch in diameter.

• Michael took these photos at a depth of about 40 feet.

Well, I'm suddenly motivated to grab my own featherduster and dust the house! :)