Tube worm

Tube of a serpulid worm attached to a branch of the coral Cladocora from the Pliocene of Cyprus.

A tube worm is a worm-like sessile invertebrate that anchors its tail to an underwater surface and secretes around its body a mineral tube, into which it can withdraw its entire body. The "tube worm" live over a mile deep in the floor of the Pacific Ocean. Some grow as long as 8ft. The "tube worm" resembles giant lipsticks. They have no eyes, gut, or stomach. They survive of off the bacteria inside of their body which keep them alive. On the other hand the "tube worm" provides food for other sea dwellers such as fish, and crabs.

Tube worms are found among the following taxa:

• (The phylum) Annelida (a.k.a. segmented worms)
  • (The class) Polychaetea (a.k.a. bristle worms)
    • (The order) Canalipalpata (a.k.a. bristle-footed annelids or fan-head worms)
      • (The family) Siboglinidae (a.k.a. beard worms)
        • (The species) Riftia pachyptila (a.k.a. giant tube worm)
        • (The genus) Lamellibrachia
      • (The family) Serpulidae
      • (The family) Sabellidae (a.k.a. feather duster worms)
• The phylum Phoronida (a.k.a. horseshoe worms)
• The order Microconchida (extinct tubeworms)