Habitat 
Depth 
Group 
Role WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
The red tubeworm is a segmented worm building a white to pinkish calcium carbonate tube, generally attached along part of its length. The body stays sheltered. Its red, pink or pale-patterned fan has two lobes.
A modified filament carries an operculum, a plug closing the tube during withdrawal. Fan and operculum shape are more useful for recognition than colour alone.
WHERE DOES IT LIVE?
It lives on hard surfaces, notably rocks and shells, in French Mediterranean habitats. It can be observed beneath overhangs or in shade, where other organisms may partly cover the tube.
An overgrown tube is not necessarily empty. The opening and fan emergence reveal activity without intervention.
WHAT DOES IT EAT?
The fan’s branching filaments retain food particles. Mucus and cilia, fine moving cell projections, help capture and convey them towards the mouth.
The fan also supports respiratory gas exchange. Exposure is necessary for these functions; repeated withdrawals caused by abrupt approaches reduce opportunities to observe filtering.
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