At the bahamas we saw a lot of wonderful and beautiful fish, crystal clear water, an amazing star filled night sky… But did anyone ever tell you about the absolutely fascinating Spirobranchus giganteus? More commonly known as Christmas tree worms! These little guys come in a variety of colors with a distinct “pine tree” type look, (hence the name Christmas tree worms) but there’s a lot more than what meets the eyes, If you can see one that is. These little guys average at about 1.5 inches in length and when disturbed they retract into their little burrows. According to https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/xmas-tree.html their frills, which are attached to the base of the worm are actually called radiols and are used for respiration and catching food (plankton, and other microorganisms). They also reproduce sexually and send out eggs into the water to reproduce. Christmas tree worms are most often found in brain coral but some others too. But did I tell you they were absolutely fascinating??
Look at them!
Professional Diving 