Worms

(Oregon to Southeast Alaska)

Click on photo to enlarge. Scale line in photo equals 1cm unless otherwise specified.

Notations refer to how often they can be found intertidally by
beachgoers in the Northwest plus their full habitat range.
Many worms only show themselves when submerged in water.

on a Dermasterias imbricata on a Triopha catalinae

Arctonoe vittata (Grube, 1855)
Red-banded Commensal Scaleworm
occasionally found, north Mexico to
north Alaska; Ecuador

Phascolosomatidae

protuding necks body exposed from sand

Phascolosoma agassizii Keferstein, 1867
Agassiz's Peanut Worm
common, north Mexico to north Alaska

Stylochidae

Kaburakia excelsa Bock, 1925
Giant Flatworm
common, central California
to south Alaska

Tubulanidae

Tubulanus polymorphus Renier, 1804
Orange Ribbon Worm
common, south California to north Alaska;
Meditteranean to north Europe

Maldanidae

Praxillura maculata Moore, 1923
Windmill Bamboo-Worm
subtidal, California to BC

Nereididae

found inside a freshly dead Euspira lewisii shell
Cheilonereis cyclurus (Harrington, 1897)
Red-and-White-Banded Sea-Nymph
infrequently found; south California to north Alaska,
northwest Pacific Ocean

Halosydna brevisetosa Kinbert, 1856
Eighteen-Scaled Worm
common, north Mexico to central Alaska

Polynoidae

Arctonoe fragilis (Baird, 1863)
Fragile Ruffled Scaleworm
occasionally found, south California
to north Alaska

Eudistylia vancouveri (Kinberg, 1867)
Vancouver Feather-Duster
common, central California to Alaska

Sabellidae

Chone aurantiaca (Johnson, 1901)
Orange Feather-Duster
occasionally found, Washington to BC

Myxicola infundibulum (Montagu, 1808)
Slime-Tube Feather-Duster
occasionally found, California to north Alaska

on a Parastichopus californicus
Arctonoe pulchra
(Johnson 1897)
occasionally found, north
Mexico to central Alaska

Cirratulidae

Dodecaceria fewkesi
Berkeley & Berkeley, 1954
Fringed Filament-Worm
infrequently found, south California to BC

Serpula columbiana Johnson, 1901
Red-Trumpet Calcareous Tubeworm
common, California to Alaska

Pectinariidae

Cistenides granulata (Linnaeus, 1767)
Tusk Coneworm
occasionally found, north Mexico to south Alaska

Terebellidae

exposed from sand tube in an aquarium

Thelepus crispus Johnson, 1901
Curly-head Spaghetti Worm
common, south California to Alaska; India

Serpulidae

Salmacina tribranchiata (Moore, 1923)
Three-Branch Calcareous Tubeworm
occasionally found, south California to BC

Schizobranchia insignis Bush, 1905
Split-Branch Feather-Duster
common, central California to Alaska

Sabellariidae

Neosabellaria cementarium
(Moore, 1906)
Cemented Sandmason Tubeworm
occasionally found, south California
to north Alaska

Chaetopteridae

hosting some Lacuna variegata eggs which are being eaten by a Margaritus pupillus
Spiochaetopterus costarum (Claparède, 1869)
Jointed Three-section Tubeworm
common, south California to south Alaska;
Japan; north Atlantic