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How big do feather duster worms get?
In human terms, giant feather duster worms, Eudistylia polymorpha (Johnson, 1901), are not actually so giant—they usually reach about 25.4 cm long and about 1.3 cm in width—but they unquestionably look like feather dusters.
Do feather duster worms grow?
The feather duster will re-grow its crown in a matter of weeks. Sometimes shedding of the crown is an indication of starvation or that something about the environment is irritating. If the occurrence is infrequent, it is nothing to worry about.
How fast do feather duster worms grow?
Feather dusters occasionally shed their crown, but it will regrow in a matter of weeks. They quickly withdraw into their tube if threatened or frightened.
Are feather duster worms bad?
They are safe and it’s highly unlikely that they will grow to nuisance proportions. They are filter feeders, so if you keep your water quality high, that will control your populations.
Are feather duster worms hard to keep?
Feather duster worms are peaceful and won’t bother anything other than the food they eat. They don’t really have any other requirements that—reef tank water parameters, a light-to-moderate current, and the food they can eat. They can even be kept in small tanks.
Where do you place a feather duster?
All feather dusters are suspension feeders and should be placed near (or at) the bottom of the aquarium, where their food—suspended particulate matter—is most abundant. Substrate placement is also optimal because they construct their tubes using sand, detritus, and other bits of sediment.
How long do feather dusters live?
Its life span is not very long in captivity, usually not more than two years, and often much less than that.
Can feather duster worms move?
No, feather dusters that come on live rock do not move.. heck, even the large feather dusters with soft tubes don’t just “get up and move”. They usually go through several stages to let you know they are not happy, then if you don’t do anything about it, they normally die.
Do feather duster worms have a purpose?
Having plenty of tentacles is also important because feather duster worms use them to take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide, so the ability to regenerate missing tentacles quickly helps them keep breathing.
Are feather dusters hard to keep?
Where can I find a feather duster worm?
Natural habitat A Featherduster worm is often found in the subtidal zones of reefs around the world, positioned in moderate currents where plankton meals get brought to them each day that are gentle enough to not damage their feathery crown.
When do feather duster worms shed their crowns?
As long as the fan worm is otherwise healthy, you should see new feathers within a few weeks. In the ocean, Sabelildaes will shed their crowns during mating season—it is thought that this is a survival adaptation that prevents the fan worms from accidentally capturing and eating junior.
Are there any crabs that eat feather dusters?
As for invertebrates, many crabs seem to find the gills and the tubes of these worms irresistible. There are several genera of feather duster in the trade, including Sabellastarte, Bispira and Branchiomma, and to some extent they have similar requirements in terms of flow and feed.