Fun Fanworm Facts For Kids
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Fanworms are native to the North Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the northeastern parts of the Atlantic Ocean. They are well known by other common names, such as Mediterranean fanworm, European fanworm, feather duster worm, and pencil worm. These species' filter-feeding habits help to maintain good sedimentation and exchange of gas particles.
These organisms have soft tube-like tentacles that help them to filter organic matter particles and contribute to the ecology of aquaculture. They live for around two to five years and grow into adults very quickly. They are considered pests to other species because they feed on their food and build colonies quickly.
The largest fanworm was spotted in New Zealand. Human activities have a great impact on these species because of their commercial use.
Many times, they are not fed properly according to their diet, which leads to poor health and even death. The long-length tubes of these species can be seen during low tides. Mostly, fanworm fossils can be seen in the high tide zone.
If you enjoyed reading this article, then do read some related interesting facts about worms and flatworms.
Fanworm Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a fanworm?
The fanworm, Sabella spallanzani, is also called by other common names such as Mediterranean fanworm, European fanworm, feather duster worm, and pencil worm. These species were first described by the French naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1791. They have a unique quality of filter-feeding which helps to maintain the low nutrient level in the water.
What class of animal does a fanworm belong to?
The fanworm belongs to the class Polychaeta and to the family Sabellidae. They are under the order of Canalipalpata and the genus Sabella. The phylum under which these species are listed is Annelida.
How many fanworms are there in the world?
The exact number of these marine species is not counted and is unknown.
Where does a fanworm live?
Sabella spallanzanii is native to the North Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the northeastern parts of the Atlantic Ocean. They have a wide distribution that ranges from Ireland and the UK, to Greece, Italy, and Turkey.
They are even found in France, Spain, and Portugal. Apart from these places, they are even spotted in South America, Africa, New South Wales, western and southern Australia. It was first found in New Zealand.
What is a fanworm's habitat?
The environmental habitation of these worms is such that they are found in aquaculture where there are more nutrients in the water near shallow protected places where there is less flow of water. They are mostly found to be grown on rocks, mollusk shells, jetties, pontoons, and soft sediment.
They can be found deep down in the water at a depth of 98 ft (30 m). If you keep these worms in an aquarium, then they are familiar with living in the presence of invertebrates, rocks, and sand beds.
Who do fanworms live with?
The feathery fanworm, Sabella spallanzanii, is a solitary organism and is often seen in individual clusters.
How long does a fanworm live?
The Mediterranean fanworm lives for a maximum of two to five years. They can not survive this long if kept in captivity.
How do they reproduce?
The fanworm generally grows and reproduces in saline water at different temperatures. The male and female gametes unite and are released into the sea. Over 50,000 eggs are laid during the breeding season, summer.
It takes around two weeks for young larvae to settle down on the seabed and, after 10 days, they go through the change process. An approximate total of 20-25 days is taken to settle down to the soft sediments. The environment also plays an important role in these worms' reproduction.
What is their conservation status?
The conservation status of this hardened mucus-covered body from the family of Sabellidae is unknown, but as these species are fast-growing marine fanworms, they must not be on the list of threatened.
Fanworm Fun Facts
What do fanworms look like?
The Mediterranean fanworm is found in deep, shallow water. They have large, stiff sand tubes with hard mucus that is released by the worm which develops from the sand bed.
Apart from this, their bodies have two layers of crown-like feathery tentacles which help them feed on their food diet and turn into tubes, while one layer forms a spiral-like structure. The color of the tentacles varies from orange to purple and white to gray.
Many different base-growing organic organisms grow on the tube that is more often saggy and wrinkled. Their name, feather duster fanworm, comes from their feather-like tentacles.
How cute are they?
The fanworm, Sabella Spallanzanii, is cute and would be ranked four on a scale of one to five. They look like beautiful flowers with different colors.
How do they communicate?
There is not much evidence available in the context of their communication and these fanworm marine species have feathers on their tentacles which help them to feed on their food by filtering organic particles in the water column.
How big is a fanworm?
This filter-feeder fanworm's size is 3.5-15.7 in (9-40 cm) long. The largest Mediterranean fanworm was spotted in New Zealand.
How fast can a fanworm swim?
The Mediterranean fanworm, Sabella spallanzani, can not move and mostly move their crowns like feathery tentacles and tubes if they have to crawl. If they are spotted moving, then it is a sign of their ill health as their main base is weak.
How much does a fanworm weigh?
The exact weight of these marine Mediterranean fanworms, Sabella spallanzanii, is unknown. The Mediterranean fanworm is generally lightweight relative to its size.
What are the male and female names of the species?
Male and female Mediterranean fanworms do not have any sex-specific names.
What would you call a baby fanworm?
The babies of fanworms generally do not have a specific name and are called larvae.
What do they eat?
The Mediterranean fanworm is categorized among the worms who feed on food by using filtration methods like krill. Hence, in short, they are called filter feeders. The fanworm's diet consists of bacteria particles, zooplankton, and phytoplankton.
Some of the time, they even feed on organic matter particles. They keep a low level of nutrients, which helps to keep the good quality of water. They are often seen invading their close native species such as oysters and freshwater mussels, whereas they help barnacles and tube worms grow.
Are they harmful?
No, these polychaete marine species are not dangerous as they can not move on their own. The Mediterranean fanworm is a planktonic and calm aquatic marine species.
Would they make a good pet?
Yes, they would make good pets if they are provided with a proper natural aquaculture environment. They must be kept at a good temperature with salinity in the water. They are good in terms of invertebrates.
Did you know...
The Mediterranean fanworm, phylum Annelida, can be considered a pest, especially in parts of New Zealand, because, as per their description, they can grow on oysters and mussels, which can harm them and the ecological aquaculture around them. These fanworms are fast-growing in the water columns of New Zealand, European countries, and Australia.
So, they can be regarded as pests and parasites. In New Zealand, they were present in colonies of up to 1000, eating the food of other polychaetes.
Why are they called fanworms?
Sabella spallanzanii, native to New Zealand, have widespread feather-like tentacles and tubes which spread out like an open fan and are thus named fanworms.
How is the fan of a fanworm used?
The fans of fanworms are used in aquariums as the fan on the head of the worm allows the better exchange of gases and a good filter level in the water. They appear to be like crown structures. The size of the fans of these worms is up to 10 in (25 cm) in diameter.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other annelids from our sea snake interesting facts and leopard seal fun facts for kids.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable fanworm coloring pages.
Main image by Anders Finn Jørgensen.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Bachelor of Education specializing in Secondary Education and Teaching, Master of Arts specializing in English
Anamika BalouriaBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Bachelor of Education specializing in Secondary Education and Teaching, Master of Arts specializing in English
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Pradhanya RaoBachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR
With a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Christ University, Bangalore, Pradhanya's passion for the English language and literature led her to explore the field of content writing, where she has gained extensive experience in writing, reviewing, editing, and fact-checking. She has also earned certifications in Google Ads Search, Google Ads Display, and Social Media Marketing, showcasing her proficiency in digital marketing.
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