Sand Mason Worm (Lanice Conchilega)

The crown of the sand mason worm that protrudes from the sand surface

Lanice Conchilega - The Sand Mason Worm

This common sedentary worm lives on sandy and muddy shores of varying wave exposure. It is easily identifiable by its conspicuous tube made from coarse sand and shell fragments. The tube has a distinctly flattened and ornately "frayed" end of thin projections.the end of the tube is set at right angles to the prevailing currents in order to trap sediment particles. Lanice is a detritivorous deposit feeder and uses its long tentacles to stretch out across the sediment surface and search for organic particles. Male and female gametes are discharged into the sea where fertilisation occurs during the spring and summer.

These are Terebellid worms, a very sedentary group of quite beautiful worms. See Amphitrite to see a worm out of the burrow.