TankBud

Giant feather duster

Sabellastarte spectabilis

Also known as Feather Duster, Feather Duster Worm, Fan Worm

SaltwaterInvertebrate

Giant feather duster (Sabellastarte spectabilis)
Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
5.9 in
15 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Filter feeder
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Very common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Sabellidae
Origin
Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, with introduced populations now established in the Gulf of Mexico and around Hawaii

Overview

The giant feather duster is a peaceful, stationary filter feeder for an established reef tank. It suits a reef keeper with some experience.

Did you know

The giant feather duster feeds with a crown that is not a separate organ so much as an extension of the worm's head. If a fish bites it off, the worm can regrow a whole new one from the stump over the following weeks. A crown shed under stress usually grows back too, as long as the worm is still alive in its tube.

Caring for the giant feather duster

Give a giant feather duster a well-established reef tank of at least 20 gal (75 L). Place it low on the rockwork, where it can extend fully without being blasted directly by a powerhead. It needs steady, moderate flow across the crown.

Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. It is a filter feeder, not a photosynthetic animal, so it gets no energy from the tank lights. Feed phytoplankton or other very fine suspended foods regularly, which it catches with its crown. Expect it to struggle in a brand new tank without an established plankton population.

It yanks its crown into the tube at any sudden shadow or vibration. That is a normal defense, not a sign of a problem. Repeated disturbance or a stressed, nutrient-poor tank can make it shed the crown entirely.

The giant feather duster is peaceful and reef safe, and it never touches coral or tank mates. Keep it away from coral banded shrimp, arrow crabs, and any wrasse, triggerfish or angelfish known to pick at worms.

Good to know

The giant feather duster, Sabellastarte spectabilis, is a tube-dwelling polychaete worm in the family Sabellidae. It builds a tough, leathery tube coated in fine sediment and never leaves it. The branchial crown is a plume of feathery radioles banded in dark and pale brown, used to feed and breathe. The species has a tangled taxonomic history, sold and described for years under names like Sabellastarte sanctijosephi and S. indica. Researchers settled on S. spectabilis as the valid name in 2003. Worms sold simply as giant feather dusters may still belong to any of several closely related Sabellastarte species.

In the wild

Giant feather dusters are native to the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. They have since turned up as an introduced species in the Gulf of Mexico and around Hawaii. Most likely they were carried in on ship hulls or in ballast water. They live tucked into reef holes, rock crevices and rubble, with just the crown extended into the current.

Common questions

What size tank does a giant feather duster need?

A giant feather duster needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a giant feather duster need?

A giant feather duster is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a giant feather duster eat?

A giant feather duster is a filter feeder that catches fine food from the water with its crown. Feed it phytoplankton or other very fine suspended foods regularly.

How big does a giant feather duster get?

An adult giant feather duster reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).

Related species