Spirobranchus kraussii

Spirobranchus kraussii, the blue coral-worm, is a species of marine invertebrate in the family Serpulidae of order Sabellida. It is native to the Indian Ocean.

Synonyms

 * Placostegus caeruleus Schmarda, 1861 (confused, subjective synonym of two other taxa)
 * Placostegus cariniferus kraussii Baird, 1865 (superseded original combination)
 * Placostegus latiligulatus Baird, 1865
 * Placostegus ornatus articulata Mörch, 1863 (subjective synonym)
 * Pomatoceros (Pomatoleios) caerulescens Augener, 1922 (subjective synonym)
 * Pomatoleios caerulescens Augener, 1922 (subjective synonym)
 * Pomatoleios crosslandi Pixell, 1913 (subjective synonym)
 * Pomatoleios kraussii (Baird, 1865) (superseded recombination)
 * Pomatoleios kraussii manilensis Pillai, 1965 (subjective synonym)

Distribution

 * Indo-West Pacific
 * Cape Peninsula to Mozambique
 * South Africa
 * Mediterranean Sea (alien)
 * Gulf of Mexico (from synonym)
 * Madagascar (from synonym)
 * North Atlantic Ocean European waters [from synonym]
 * Red Sea
 * Persian Gulf
 * Australia
 * Japan
 * India
 * Hawaii

Description
The head has two rows of feathery branches and a stalked operculum with two pointed wings and a flat cap. Length about 15mm and tubes are about 2mm inside diameter.

Habitat
The blue coral-worm builds massive colonies of interwoven calcareous tubes, which can be locally abundant on moderately exposed rocky shores. It is a filter feeder.