Sabellastarte spectabilis Breeding Guide

How the Hawaiian feather duster Sabellastarte spectabilis reproduces sexually by broadcast spawning with trochophore larvae and asexually by fragmentation, regenerating its crown.

Overview

Sabellastarte spectabilis, the Hawaiian feather duster, is a sabellid polychaete that can reach about 80 mm in length and lives in a tough, leathery tube covered with fine mud. Its branchial crown of branched radioles forms a banded brown plume; cilia on the tentacles create currents that capture organic particles for feeding, while larger non-food particles are used to build the tube. It occurs in holes, cracks and among algae on reefs and rocky shores.

Reproductive Mode

The species uses both sexual and asexual strategies. Most worms are either male or female, with gametes maturing in the coelom before being released into the water column, and some larger specimens show sequential hermaphroditism.

Asexual Reproduction

Sabellastarte spectabilis can reproduce asexually by fragmentation and can regenerate body parts after being damaged. This regenerative ability also lets it rebuild a lost branchial crown, and fragmentation contributes to local increase in numbers.

Sexual Reproduction

Fertilisation is external. After a short time in the plankton, the trochophore larvae settle out of the water column and grow into adult worms. The brief planktonic phase is one reason this genus has been a subject of artificial propagation work.

Common Challenges

In aquaria, asexual fragmentation can occasionally produce new individuals, but reliable larval rearing remains difficult. Crowns are frequently shed in response to stress or poor water quality and then regrown, which keepers may mistake for death of the worm.