It was the first low (at a decent time) that we’d had in months. I’d been having a lot of fun looking for any sea squirts that had washed up. Then I noticed these small tubes in the ground. I didn’t think much of it and snapped a few photos of the tubes.
When I got home, I noticed that there was a critter inside of the tube! It turns out that it is from the Diopatra genus, otherwise known as decorator worms.
I eagerly waited until the next low tide so I could do some more investigating.
December 21
So I didn’t really find any decorator worm. I was going to delicately get a specimen, but it turned out that most of the tubes were attached to something that squirted water. I don’t know if the worms live in this other species or live in tubes made out of sand.
I did find some made of sand and even found a worm close to the surface in one of them. Unfortunately, none of the photos turned out. I tried digging under the tubes about 5cm but didn’t come up with anything.
5cm felt like the type of damage that could organically happen on a busy beach. I didn’t want to go any further until I know what I’m doing.
I’m not considering this experiment a failure: it is a learning experience 🙂
