Meet the Marvelous Christmas Tree Worm

The Christmas tree worm is a marine animal distantly related to earthworms. Could anything be more festive?

The Christmas tree worm looks a lot different than your garden-variety nightcrawler: Instead of slithering through soil, it inhabits coral reefs (which it may prevent from destruction). And unlike a night-crawler's average lifespan of six to nine years, a Christmas tree worm lives between 10 and 20 years. It can even make it to 40 in particularly unpolluted waters.

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

Production Assistance:
David Condon, Julia Cort, Ari Daniel, Robin Kazmier, Christina Monnen, and Emily Zendt

Archival: Pond5, StoryBlocks
Music: APM

© WGBH Educational Foundation 2021

[bemusedbandersnatch]

It's the most wonderful time of the year so let's educate you about pretty marine worms that protect coral reefs from starfish. Never change PBS, I love it <3

[Starcatt]

Ooh, one of my favourite underwater creatures! A dive wouldn’t be complete without them!!

[sahasmahogha]

Just read about this little guy while going through sedentarians, a truly marvelous creature!