Add graceful movement and natural beauty to your reef aquarium with a live Feather Duster Worm. This peaceful marine invertebrate extends a delicate, fan-shaped crown of feathery radioles to capture suspended food from the water column.

When disturbed, the worm quickly retracts its crown into its protective tube. Once comfortable, it will reopen and create a constantly moving display within the aquarium.

Approximate Purchase Size

Approximately 2–3 inches or larger.

The product image is representative. Color, pattern, crown shape, and exact size will vary between individual specimens.

Care Requirements

• Animal type: Marine tube worm
• Care level: Moderate
• Temperament: Peaceful
• Reef safe: Yes
• Diet: Filter feeder
• Lighting: Low to moderate
• Water flow: Moderate and indirect
• Placement: Sand bed or lower rockwork
• Recommended aquarium: Established saltwater or reef aquarium

Placement and Care

Place the Feather Duster Worm near the base of the rockwork or partially within the sand bed. Position it where moderate, indirect water movement can carry suspended food toward its crown without repeatedly forcing it to retract.

Do not pull the worm from its tube. Its soft body is protected inside the tube, and attempting to remove it can cause serious injury.

Allow the animal to choose its final orientation. Once settled, avoid repeatedly handling or relocating it.

Feeding

Feather Duster Worms are filter feeders and require access to very small suspended foods. An established aquarium with a healthy supply of plankton and dissolved organic material is strongly recommended.

Supplemental feeding with phytoplankton, zooplankton substitutes, or liquid foods formulated for marine filter feeders may be necessary, particularly in heavily filtered or low-nutrient aquariums.

Do not attempt to feed large pieces of food directly to the crown.

Recommended Water Parameters

• Temperature: 74–79°F
• Salinity: 1.023–1.026
• pH: 8.1–8.4
• Alkalinity: 8–12 dKH
• Ammonia: 0 ppm
• Nitrite: 0 ppm
• Nitrate: Stable and controlled

Important Information

Feather Duster Worms may temporarily remain retracted after shipping, acclimation, maintenance, or sudden movement near the aquarium.

A severely stressed specimen may shed its crown. This does not always mean the worm has died, and a healthy worm may regrow its crown if aquarium conditions and nutrition are appropriate.

Avoid copper-based medications and sudden changes in salinity, temperature, or water chemistry.

Live Animal Shipping

Live animals are shipped by overnight service on designated livestock shipping days. Please review our complete live-animal shipping, acclimation, and arrival policies before ordering.