About Pseudobranchiomma longa (Kinberg, 1866)
This species, commonly known as a feather-duster worm, can grow up to 15 centimeters in total length. It is an attractive fanworm, with its head modified for feeding. Two large spiral feeding whorls, which can be yellow, red, white, or purple, extend from a protective tube, and retract rapidly when the animal is disturbed. This species is found off the southern African coast, ranging from the Cape Peninsula in South Africa to Mozambique, and also occurs off Madagascar. It lives in habitats from the intertidal zone down to at least 200 meters underwater. The tube it lives in is constructed from food particles that are too large for the worm to eat, cemented together with the worm's mucus.
