Christmas Tree Worm Native. The invasive sun coral tubastraea coccinea hosting a native christmas tree worm at curaçao dutch caribbean. The deepest record concerns a colony of madracis pharensis heller 1868 at39mdepth site3intable1 nine of the 26 coral species represent new host records for spirobranchus giganteus whereas four previously recorded associations were not found in the present study table 2.
Giganteus is commonly found embedded entirely in heads of massive corals such as stony corals porites and brain corals. The tree may grow to 10 metres 33 feet or more and produces many yellow orange flowers during the christmas season. Each worm has two brightly colored crowns that protrude from its tube like body.
The christmas tree worm is normally found in the aquarium store as several individuals attached to a small piece of rock or live rock rubble.
The christmas tree worm or as it is sometimes referred to as the jewel stone is a small filter feeding invertebrate with a wide variety of colors. The owl that stowed away in the christmas tree erected at. Feeding behavior ecology christmas tree worms spirobranchus giganteus are polychaete ciliary feeders that feed using their radioles the hair like appendages or feathers that circle outward from the central spine to catch phytoplankton floating by in the water. The common name for these worms is derived from their appearance not their habitat or diet.
