1.5K views · 49 reactions | Polychaetes!  . . . #polychaete #marineworm #worm #eggcase #beachfind #marinelife #fishguyphotos | Fish Guy Photos | Facebook

To describe this polychaete, one simply must use jazz hands — it is the only way to capture this deep-sea worm’s dazzle! According to our friend Leo at Natural World Facts, the species name means many bristles. Each body segment has a pair of fleshy protrusions called parapodia covered in bristles called chaetae. Some worms are bioluminescent, but this sassy sparkler has protein structures in the bristles that make them iridescent. Polychaetes play a vital role throughout our global Ocean, from