The Feather Duster�s crown represents just a small part of the entire worm (Sabellastarte indica). A tube used as the worm�s home reached well down into the coral (Porites lobata in this case). Here you are looking down into its crown, which is used both for feeding and for respiration. The worm filters particles from the water, catching them on tiny cilia on the fronds, then passing them down a groove in the center of each frond, toward the mouth. Once the particles reach the mouth, they may be eaten, discarded, or added to the hidden tube that reaches far into the coral. When startled by a touch or a shadow, the Feather Duster withdraws into its tube. The worm can lose its crown and grow a new one.

This worm was photographed in about 45 feet of water off the south Kohala Coast near the Mauna Lani Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii.