Description: This worm builds fragile tubes from sand grains and when individuals group together to form colonies they have a honeycomb-like structure. These colonies can be very large and up to 1 m deep, capable of completely covering rocky reefs. The worm itself is rarely seen. Growing 30-40 mm in length they have a number of distinctive tentacular filaments around their mouth.

Habitat: From mid to lower shore on bedrock and boulders, that have sand nearby. Prefer exposed, open coasts. Occasionally recorded from shallow sublittoral.

Distribution: Primarily a southern species with a few scattered records as far north as Scotland and some from SE Northern Ireland.

Similar Species: Sabellaria spinulosa also occurs in Britain and Ireland but it is more likely to be found subtidally, while Sabelleria alveolata is unlikely to be found subtidally.

Key Identification Features:

• Tube-building worm that can form large honeycomb-like structures when grouped together into colonies.
• Usually found intertidally from mid to lower shore.

Distribution Map from NBN: Sabellaria alveolata at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Sabellaria alveolata at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Sabellaria alveolata

WoRMS: Sabellaria alveolata at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Sabellaria alveolata (Linnaeus, 1767). AphiaID: 130866.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Annelida; Polychaeta; Sedentaria; Canalipalpata; Sabellariidae; Sabellaria