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Loimia medusa (Savigny in Lamarck, 1818) 

Spaghetti-Worm or the Red-Spotted Worm


John McLaughlin (2014)

  


Fact Sheet

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Summary


Brief Summary


Classification


Names


Physical Description


General Body Plan


The Tentacles


Colouration


Ecology


Habitats


Crypsis


Larvae


Behaviour


Overview


Feeding


Predatory Defense Mechanisms


Survival Mechanisms


Reproduction


Reproductive Characteristics


Reproductive Strategy


Case Study


Ecological Role


Overview


Secondary Production


Sediment Processing


Biogeographic Distribution


Life History


Larval Development


Building of Sandy Tube


Early Benthic Development


Conservation and Threats


References & Links

Overview



The behaviour of Loimia medusa is influenced strongly by its morphology and the habitat in which it lives. Generally speaking they are known as infaunal and burrow-building polychaetes. The tube of adult worms is about 5 cm in diameter and can reach up to 20 cm in length, reaching a depth of 15 cm in sediment and are actively irrigated on a regular basis (R. Seitz & L. Schaffner, 1995). They invest significant time in the upkeep of these tubes and in doing so they remain well-oxygenated and have significant effects on overall ecosystem sediment biogeochemistry, whilst also providing shelter for commensal organisms (Lindenmayer & Nix, 1992).

Classification

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