Author: Margalida Castell Orell
Scientific name: Sabella spallanzanii
Place of photography: Formentor, Mallorca
Sea duster or spirograph
What kind of animal is it?
It is a sedentary polychaete, that is, a sea worm that is permanently fixed in the substrate.
Where to find it?
In the Mediterranean and the eastern Atlantic. Margalida took this photo during a dive in Formentor. He found it about 15 m, but it can be found even at 30 m depth.
How is it behaving?
When you feel threatened you can fold the “duster” completely into the tube.
How is it fed?
It is a filter, that is, it feeds on plankton and suspended debris that transports water.