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Feather Dusters - Life Cycle ?

9.6K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  Matt_b  
#1 ·
Had a huge duster attach itself to my lr and he was happy there for months until one day he never showed up again then the tube started to disintergrate :confused: i left the tube in the tank as it was in a difficult place to reach and i'm glad i did ! 2 weeks later there is a smaller one growing out of the tube :arg: exactly the same colour as the original but tiny

So anyone thinking it's dead leave it, IMO it will appear again
 
#2 ·
not sure of the lifespan but this pretty much sums it up-

Feather Dusters are not often thought of as worms because what most people see is just the pretty feathery "crown" the worm uses to capture food. But there truly is a worm living inside the Feather Duster's tan tube. They create this tube by combining sand and a special secretion in order to protect their delicate body. The feathery crown, also called a "radiole", is an extention of the mouth of the worm and serves as both its gills and a way to capture food. Feather Dusters are very light sensitive and will quickly retract when approached or disturbed. Feather Dusters are known to "throw" their crowns which usually regrow within a few weeks.
 
#3 ·
Matt_b said:
Had a huge duster attach itself to my lr and he was happy there for months until one day he never showed up again then the tube started to disintergrate :confused: i left the tube in the tank as it was in a difficult place to reach and i'm glad i did ! 2 weeks later there is a smaller one growing out of the tube :arg: exactly the same colour as the original but tiny

So anyone thinking it's dead leave it, IMO it will appear again
Interesting............

.i think that you most defintely WILL see the big one again.....i havent heard of what you describe happening exactly but i DID one time receive a featherduster with a tiny one in the bag along with it. My circumstance ended up in a violent ending because i was a moron but THATS another story.......

im thinking it had a baby and allows the baby to have the tube so it has a better chance at survival......if thats the case he is just in the sand somewhere and will reappear....

keep us posted....very cool.....i think
 
#6 ·
LiquidLunch said:
Feather Dusters are not often thought of as worms because what most people see is just the pretty feathery "crown" the worm uses to capture food. But there truly is a worm living inside the Feather Duster's tan tube.
You can see a picture of this here:

http://mysite.verizon.net/s0da/feathers.html

Definitely wouldn't do anything. Either the big one will come back, or the little one will eventually grow out.

Here's TONS of info on feather dusters:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/polychaetes.htm