The Paddleworm

Family Phyllodocidae – Paddleworm

Please click on the photos to enlarge them

I came across this one in 12m of water in Lamlash Bay recently, the first I have seen in 17 years diving in this area.

He was just doing his rounds on the sea bed when the two gobies took an immediate interest in his presence and proceeded to follow his path and now and then one would dart in and give him a nip, the whole two foot long worm seemed to convulse as it took this treatment until it finally discovered a burrow into which it disappeared head first, watched closely by its aggressors.