Bristle Worm Floriprotis
Floriprotis sabiuraensis
Is a Serpulidae bristle worm that lives in the surface of hard corals.
Description:The tube is white and opaque. It has a circular cross-section. More or less well developed ribs on the outside of the calcareous tube. The crown is missing an operculum or a pseudoperculum. The radioles are semi-circular (about 1x2 mm) arranged (20 radioles per semicircle). An inter-radiolarian membrane is present. Branchial eyes (photoreceptors of the gill crown (and if present operculum)) are absent. The length of the body is up to about 20 mm long and up to about 2 mm thick (rather narrow). Collar is developed and has three lobes. Thorax with 7 segments. Egg-containing sacs found on the inside of the chest membranes.
Nutrition: Phyto- and smallest zooplankton (bacteria and Co.) as well as Dentritus.
Housing Conditions: Always embedded in a coral of the family Faviidae and will not survive if the coral dies.
Predators: some fish (such as butterfly fishes, wrasses, etc.) can become aware of the crowns and eat the worms. These worms can be alerted by light chances that helps them to quickly retreat to avoid predation.
Habitat: Only on living corals of the family Faviidae (especially on Favia, Favites, Goniastrea, Montastrea and Platygyra).
Description:The tube is white and opaque. It has a circular cross-section. More or less well developed ribs on the outside of the calcareous tube. The crown is missing an operculum or a pseudoperculum. The radioles are semi-circular (about 1x2 mm) arranged (20 radioles per semicircle). An inter-radiolarian membrane is present. Branchial eyes (photoreceptors of the gill crown (and if present operculum)) are absent. The length of the body is up to about 20 mm long and up to about 2 mm thick (rather narrow). Collar is developed and has three lobes. Thorax with 7 segments. Egg-containing sacs found on the inside of the chest membranes.
Nutrition: Phyto- and smallest zooplankton (bacteria and Co.) as well as Dentritus.
Housing Conditions: Always embedded in a coral of the family Faviidae and will not survive if the coral dies.
Predators: some fish (such as butterfly fishes, wrasses, etc.) can become aware of the crowns and eat the worms. These worms can be alerted by light chances that helps them to quickly retreat to avoid predation.
Habitat: Only on living corals of the family Faviidae (especially on Favia, Favites, Goniastrea, Montastrea and Platygyra).
