Marine Wildlife Encyclopedia
Football Jersey Worm Tubulanus annulatus
One of the most strikingly colored ribbon worms, the football jersey worm has a patterning of longitudinal white lines and regularly spaced white rings. It may be found lying in an untidy pile beneath stones on the lower shore and may also be seen scavenging when the tide is out. More usually the football jersey worm lives below the shore on almost any type of seabed, including mud, sand, and shell gravel. To camouflage itself, the football jersey worm secretes a mucous tube that becomes covered in surrounding sediment.
zoom image
- Class Anopla
- Length Up to 30 in (75 cm)
- Depth 0–130 ft (0–40 m)
- Habitat Gravel, stones, and sediment
- Distribution Cold and temperate waters of north Atlantic and north Pacific
