ID Help on a couple of firsts for me...

Fish & Invertebrate sightings and descriptions, hosted by resident NWDC ID expert Janna Nichols (nwscubamom).
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Scubie Doo
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ID Help on a couple of firsts for me...

Post by Scubie Doo »

Found these two critters around the boat ramp in about 20' of water. The orange "worm" was creeping around in an indentation in the sand. The "scaleworm" was on a kelp leave and I originally thought it was the arm of a star fish. Can anyone help with a positive ID? Thanks!

Jesse
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Dusty2
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Re: ID Help on a couple of firsts for me...

Post by Dusty2 »

Good luck on that, I haven't seen Leslie on here in quite awhile and she is the worm expert.
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Scubie Doo
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ID Help on a couple of firsts for me...

Post by Scubie Doo »

Ok, I am pretty sure the first is a scaleworm. The second has me baffled though, anyone????
LeslieH
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Re: ID Help on a couple of firsts for me...

Post by LeslieH »

You're right on the first - scaleworm, family Polynoidae. Usually worms can't be id'ed to species or even genus unless they're under a microscope as many of the diagnostic characters are too small to be photographed. The other two are of the detached rear end of a terebellid.
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dwashbur
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Re: ID Help on a couple of firsts for me...

Post by dwashbur »

LeslieH wrote:You're right on the first - scaleworm, family Polynoidae. Usually worms can't be id'ed to species or even genus unless they're under a microscope as many of the diagnostic characters are too small to be photographed. The other two are of the detached rear end of a terebellid.
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