The beautiful fan worm Sabellastarte australiensis looks all the world like a miniature palm tree in an exquisite coral and ascidian garden. Just a tiny part of the greater landscape under Edithburgh Jetty.
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sabellastarteaustraliensis
Another World
This hand sized fan worm is one of the many spectacular creatures that inhabit our local waters. I say local but it really is another world altogether. It looks like a plant; like some exotic miniature palm tree. This guy however is a worm which builds a tubular casing away from its supporting structure so […]
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Aquatic Feathers
Last night was my first night dive for 2017. In fact it was my first dive for the new year and the conditions were perfect. The evening star and a waxing crescent moon shone down on the water as we slipped below the surface. To the fishers on Rapid Bay jetty above it must have […]
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Feather Duster
This feathery looking thing is actually a worm. It’s a Southern fan worm Sabellastarte australiensis Sometimes they are even called Feather Duster Worms and just like its cleaner namesake those appendages sweep the water clean hoping to find nutrition in the suspended particles floating by. Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Feather Duster’ 1/200s f/32 ISO100 100mm
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