Sue Daly / Feather duster fan worm (Sabella spallanzanii) with tentacles moving in the current, Sark, British Channel Islands, UK, August.

Wild Wonders of Europe / Zankl / European fan worms (Sabella / Spirographis spallanzani) Malta, Mediteranean, May 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Zankl / Close-up of European fan worm (Sabella / Spirographis spallanzani) Malta, Mediteranean, May 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Zankl / European fan worms (Sabella / Spirographis spallanzani) Malta, Mediteranean, May 2009

Pascal Kobeh / Hard coral (Porites lutea) with Christmas-tree worms (Spirobranchus giganteus), New Caledonia, Pacific Ocean.

Georgette Douwma / Kaleidoscopic image of Indian fan worm (Sabellastarte indica), Mabul, Malaysia.

Georgette Douwma / Kaleidoscopic image of Fan worm (Sabella sp.), Puerta Galera, Philippines.

David Hall / Red fanworm / mopworm (Protula bispiralis). Komodo, Indonesia.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Serpulid reefs (Serpula vermicularis), Loch Creran, Scotland, UK, August.

Georgette Douwma / Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus sp). West Papua, Indonesia. Indo-West Pacific.

Georgette Douwma / Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus sp). West Papua, Indonesia. Indo-West Pacific.

Georgette Douwma / Fan worm (Sabellastarte sp) West Papua, Indonesia. Indo-West Pacific.

Georgette Douwma / Fan worm (Sabella sp) West Papua, Indonesia. Indo-West Pacific.

Georgette Douwma / Feather duster worm (Protula magnifica). North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Feather duster worm (Protula magnifica). North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus). North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus). North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Magnificent feather duster worm (Protula magnifica) Puerto Galera, Philippines.

David Fleetham / Blue spiral fan (used for feeding and breathing) of Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) visible on reef. Maui, Hawaii.

Sue Daly / Close-up of a Spiral fan worm (Bispira volutacornis) with tentacles moving in the current, Sark, British Channel Islands, UK, June.

Sue Daly / Group of Spiral fan worms (Bispira volutacornis), Sark, British Channel Islands, UK, June.

Alex Mustard / Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) growing out from a coral, next to a bed of algae. East Of Eden, Similan Islands, Thailand. Andaman Sea, Indian Ocean.

Georgette Douwma / Fan worm (Sabella sp) and unknown sponge, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Coral worms (Filograna implexa / Serpulidae). A colonial species of worm that builds irregular masses of calcareous tube. West Papua, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Feather duster worms ( Filogranella elatensis) Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Fan worm (Sabella fusca) Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Fan worm - Sabella sp. Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Pascal Kobeh / Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) Maldives, Indian Ocean.

Pete Oxford / Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus sp) Fiji, South Pacific.

Pete Oxford / Christmas tree worms (Spirobranchus sp) Fiji, South Pacific.

Pete Oxford / Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus sp) Rainbow Reef, Fiji, South Pacific.

Pascal Kobeh / Magnificent tube worm (Protula magnifica) Madagascar. Indian Ocean.

Pete Oxford / Gorgonian Sea Fan (Gorgonia sp), Rainbow Reef, Fiji

Sue Daly / Fan Worm (Megalomma vesiculosum) Bouley Bay, Jersey, British Channel Islands.

Sue Daly / Fan Worm (Megalomma vesiculosum) Bouley Bay, Jersey, British Channel Islands.

Sue Daly / Post Horn Worms (Spirorbis) on seaweed, on beach, Derrible Bay, Sark, British Channel Islands.

Alex Mustard / High magnification detail of filter feeding appendage of Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Ceram Sea, Tropical West Pacific Ocean.

Solvin Zankl / Christmas tree worms (Spirobranchus giganteus) on Porites coral (Porites sp) Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean.

Nick Upton / Keelworm (Pomatoceros lamarcki) with filter feeding tentacles visible at the mouth of its tube, attached to boulder in a rockpool, Lyme Regis, Dorset, UK, May.

Roland Seitre / Christmas Tree Worms (Spirobranchus giganteus) Jokin, Lifou, Loyalty Islands Province, New Caledonia

Franco Banfi / Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) Raja Ampat, Irian Jaya, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean

Sue Daly / Spiral Fan Worm (Bispira volutacornis). Maseline Harbour, Sark, British Channel Islands, July.

Georgette Douwma / Vermetid worm snail (Serpulid sp.) Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Fan worm / feather duster worm (Sabellastarte indica) on coral. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Georgette Douwma / Serpulid Feather duster worm (Serpulidae) Rinca, Komodo National Park, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Serpulid feather duster worm (Serpulidae) a filter feeder that lives in a calcareous tube which it secretes, One of its tentacles has been modified to form an operculum, which can seal off the tube, o...

Philippe Clement / Tubes of of calcium carbonate from a serpulid worm attached to shell on beach, Brittany, France

Philippe Clement / Tubes of of calcium carbonate from a serpulid worm attached to mollusc shell, Brittany, France

Peter Scoones / Sabelled worm / fan worm (Sabellastarte indica) Red Sea

Norbert Wu / Feather Duster Worm (Perkinsiana sp) in seafloor community, use their feathery gills to fan water for food particles, Antarctica

Constantinos Petrinos / Feather duster worm {Protula} Sulawesi, Indonesia

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Christmas tree worm {Spirobranchus giganteus} embedded in live coral.

Juergen Freund / Christmas tree worms. Caribbean

Juergen Freund / Giant feather duster. Mediterranean Sea

Angelo Giampiccolo / European fan worm (Sabella spallanzanii) at night off Ponza Island, Italy.

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Christmas tree worms on Porites coral (S giganteus) Thailand, Andaman Sea

Alex Mustard / Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) on a coral reef, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Ceram Sea. Tropical West Pacific Ocean.

Tony Wu / Tube worm (Metavermilia inflata) defecating with faeces visibly coming out of central tube. Radiole array, ciliated feather-like tentacles used for filter-feeding and respiration, and operculum, used...

Georgette Douwma / Composite image of marine invertebrates on black background showing huge variety and diversity in group, including crustacean tunicate, flatworm, fan worm, stony coral, soft coral, sponge, nudibranch,...

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) perched on intertidal rocks covered with Intertidal tubeworms (Galeolaria caespitosa) and molluscs, Victoria, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos), wings stretched to dry or warm wings in sun, standing on intertidal rocks covered with Intertidal tubeworms (Galeolaria caespitosa) and molluscs, Victo...

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos), wings stretched to dry or warm wings in sun, standing on intertidal rocks covered with Intertidal tubeworms (Galeolaria caespitosa) and molluscs, Victo...

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) standing on intertidal rocks covered with Intertidal tubeworms (Galeolaria caespitosa) and molluscs, Victoria, Australia.

Doug Gimesy / Little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) on intertidal rocks covered with mollusc , seaweed and Intertidal tubeworms (Galeolaria caespitosa) encrusting exposed rock, Victoria, Australia.

Russell Laman / Secretary blenny (Acanthemblemaria maria) hiding underneath a Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) Bonaire, Caribbean.

Joel Sartore / Photo Ark / Two Sand disc bryozoans (Discoporella doma), one with a Calcareus tube worm (Hydroides crucigera) and Encrusting sand tube worm (Sabellaria sp.) sheltering inside, Gulf Specimen Marine Lab and Aquariu...

Joel Sartore / Photo Ark / Two Sand disc bryozoans (Discoporella doma), one with a Calcareus tube worm (Hydroides crucigera) and Encrusting sand tube worm (Sabellaria sp.) sheltering inside, Gulf Specimen Marine Lab and Aquariu...

David Hall / Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) embedded within a colony of Star coral (Montastraea sp.) on the seabed, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, Caribbean Sea.

Magnus Lundgren / Arm detail of Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus), Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean.

Tony Wu / Feathery prostomial palps (mouth appendages) of Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus), Japan, Pacific Ocean.

Tony Wu / Feathery prostomial palps (mouth appendages) and operculum of Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus), Japan, Pacific Ocean.

Tony Wu / Feathery prostomial palps (mouth appendages) of Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus), Japan, Pacific Ocean.

Franco Banfi / Tube worm (Serpula vermicularis) Ponza island, Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean.

Georgette Douwma / Magnificent tube worm (Protula bispiralis). Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus sp) next to a purple sponge. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Magnificent tube worm (Protula bispiralis). Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

David Hall / Subtidal organisms found in the extreme tidal current that occur at Nakwakto Rapids, including Gooseneck barnacles (Pollicipes polymerus), mussels, kelp, red algae, coralline algae and calcareus tubew...

David Hall / Northern basket stars (Gorgonocephalus eucnemis), branching and staghorn bryozoans, calcareous tubeworms, snails and barnacles, Baranof, Alaska, USA. August.

David Hall / Tubeworms (Serpula columbiana) with feathery antennae extended, North Hanson Island, Johnstone Strait, British Columbia, Canada. March.

David Hall / Red-trumpet calcareous tubeworm (Serpula columbiana) Browning Pass, Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia, Canada. September.Most of this worm is hidden within a hard, calcareous tube; the visible...

Georgette Douwma / Delicate tube worm (Filogranella elatensis). Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Delicate tube worm (Filogranella elatensis). Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Christmas tree worms (Spirobranchus sp). Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Christmas tree worms (Spirobranchus sp). Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Franco Banfi / Bearded fireworm, (Hermodice carunculata) feeding on a Red sea fan, (Paramuricea clavata), on Gnjilina dive site. Vis Island, Croatia, Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean