American Parchment Tube Worm [Ceriantheopsis americanus]
Description
The American Parchment Tube Worm is a marine tube worm species that is native to the Western Atlantic Ocean. It resides in a tube made of a parchment-like material, hence its name. This species is nocturnal and extends its feeding tentacles only at night to capture plankton and small particles floating in the water. Its body is elongated and soft, without any segments. The body color varies from tan to brown, with white tentacles.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Jellyfish, Sea Anemones, and Relatives
Cnidaria
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Sea Anemones and Corals
Anthozoa
|
| Order |
Tube-dwelling Anemones
Ceriantharia
|
| Family |
Tube Anemones
Cerianthidae
|
| Genus |
Ceriantheopsis
Ceriantheopsis
|