Genus

Common name: Feather Duster Worm

Scientific name: Sabellastarte

Sabellastarte is a genus of marine polychaete worms known for their ornate and colorful crowns of feeding tentacles, which resemble feathers. These sedentary worms are popular in reef aquariums for their beauty and their role in filter feeding, helping to maintain water quality by consuming suspended particles. They typically inhabit tubes made from secreted mucus and sediment, and require stable water conditions with moderate flow and plenty of suspended microorganisms to thrive.

  1. Magnificent Feather Duster worm underwater in the Caribbean, Sabellastarte magnifica
    Common name: feather duster
    Scientific name: Sabellastarte magnifica
  2. Feather duster worm (Sabellastarte spectabilis) on the reef off the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint Maarten
    Common name: Indian feather duster worm
    Scientific name: Sabellastarte spectabilis