The Calcareous Tube Worm has bright colours, they vary from orange to red, and some have white bands. The most spectacular feature of these marine worms is their feathery crown. Their crown is created when the feather tentacles are pulled into a tube. These tubes can be up to 10 cm long, and about 2 mm in diameter. The animal lives in the white calcified tubes that are often seen fastened to rocks and substrates. The coiled protective tube is made of calcium carbonate, and a red trap door is used to seal the tube. The tentacle’s colours range from red to orange and are used to feed on plankton.
Look for them in tide pools and in the low intertidal zone to 100 m deep. These worms tend to stay away from the kelp, kelp contains carbon monoxide, which is highly toxic to these worms.
The calcareous tubeworm is a filter feeder that feeds on tiny microscopic organisms and small particles. When feeding, the animal extends the feather duster tentacles from its tube. Links of cilia on these tentacles force food particles toward the mouth. These little tube worms are quite fascinating to watch as they move back and forth in the current. As they glean tidbits of food with their feather-like fans.