Evergreen Natural History Database

Common name(s): Northern Feather Duster Worm

Size:
3.8 to 63.5cm long

Range:
Alaska to Northern California; South Puget Sound. Commonly occurring on floats and pilings and on rocky shores along much of the Pacific coast, but is not abundant in California.

Habitat:
This worm usually lives on the underside of docks that have been stable for a long time or on pilings right underneath the surface of the water in the low intertidal in water up to 70 feet.

Natural History:
E. vancouveri builds leathery tubes about 1cm wide up to 20 - 25cm long and tend to aggregate in clumps.

Misidentification:
Could be confused with Eudistylia polymorpha, though the tentacles of E. polymorpha are tan to orange in color while the tentacles of E. vancouveri are black and maroon up to 5 cm in diameter when fully expanded. E. polymorpha is also slightly smaller than E. vancouveri.

Suggested Websites:
Feather Duster Worm
Image of E. vancouveri

Last updated Tuesday, August 15, 2006, by Lisa Ferrier