Christmas Tree Worm Life Cycle. These animals are broadcast spawners meaning they shoot their genetic contribution into the. The rest of the worm s body is in a tube in the coral which is formed after the larval worm settles on the coral and then the coral grows around the worm the worm s legs parapodia and bristles chatae protected within the tube are about twice as large as the portion of the worm visible.
When startled christmas tree worms rapidly retract into their burrows hiding from would be predators. Each worm has two of these plumes which are used for feeding and respiration. The rest of the worm s body is in a tube in the coral which is formed after the larval worm settles on the coral and then the coral grows around the worm the worm s legs parapodia and bristles chatae protected within the tube are about twice as large as the portion of the worm visible.
They reproduce by casting their eggs and sperm into the water.
The larvae feed on microscopic plankton for a few days until they locate a stony coral head. There are both male and female christmas tree worms spirobranchus giganteus. When the worm retreats into its tube the opening is shut using an operculum which is further protected by sharp antler shaped spines. Life cycle christmas tree worms do not mate but engage in external fertilization.
