Marine bristle worms (Polychaeta)

The species group can often be identified without enlarging aids
  • Fan worm or Red tube worm. Kalkrörsmask. Photo: Aquatilis
  • Keel worm on a Virtue disc. Photo: Mikael Olsson
  • Sinistral spiral tubeworm (Spirorbis borealis)
  • Sinistral spiral tubeworm (Pomatoceros triqueter) on a Blue mussel. Photo: Mikael Olsson

Tubeworms are a group of marine bristle worms (Polychaeta), that live in tubes built by themselves. These tubes can be constructed of mucus mixed with stone and sand and glued to various surfaces. They can also be calcific (such as the Red tube worm) and permanently attached on for example mussels and large brown algae.