WHATSTHATFISH
Worms

Dark-lined Fire Worm

Chloeia fusca

Also known as: Fire Worm, Rock Worm, Sea Caterpillar, Sea Mice, Segmented Sea Worm, Segmented Worm, Tubeworm

Adult
@blogie · Dayang Beach Dive Site, Talikud Island, Island Garden City of Samal, Philippines · May 20121 / 1
01

Overview

Found hidden in crevices, under rocks and slabs, amongst rubble, sand and seagrass beds of coral and rocky reefs.

Segmented worms are extremely mobile, have strong jaws for hunting and feeding on their prey.
Some worms are covered in hairs for protection, scavenging on the sea floor for detritus.
Others are delicate fans, protected by their self made tubes, which they retreat back into when threatened, these are filter feeders and feed on plankton.

02

How to identify

Body shape
bristlesfurry

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
  • Country only · 1
LIVES IN

Found hidden in crevices, under rocks and slabs, amongst rubble, sand and seagrass beds of coral and rocky reefs.

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Adult photos 1

05

Discussion 1

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1 comment

  • Shimen Miyamoto Musashi· 5 Feb 2017

    STRANGE CATCH...I grew up from a coastal town, I have seen, caught and eaten many kinds of fish, crustaceans and discover old and new creatures from the sea, and this wiggling little hairy thing is the strangest of them all. It is about 2 inches long with segmented belly, and some kind of multiple legs like that of a centipede but more like of thorns or hairs in both sides. Strangely, was it hooked by accident or it really tried to eat the dead shrimp bait but ended up chomping the tip of the hook.

ALL STAGES
FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

Deep dive

Taxonomy

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumAnnelida
  3. classPolychaeta
  4. orderAmphinomida
  5. familyAmphinomidae
  6. genusChloeia
  7. speciesChloeia fusca McIntosh, 1885

SourcesWoRMS

06

More in the family

Bristle Worms (Amphinomidae)