This is burrowing worm build calcareous tube inside seagrass rhizome. Retractable table with fork like structure and a big mouth piece like beak.
A polychaete then. But the white thing looks like a proboscis, suggesting a nemertean which does not build tubes etc.
They also build a white tube above rhizome and sediment with diameter reducing to 0.1cm opening
This is probably not a polychaete. It is likely a teredinid bivalve...or shipworm. There's at least one such clam that finds its' home in seagrass rhizomes: Zachsia zenkewitschi. See: Shipway et al. 2016 in PLoS One. 2016; 11(5): e0155269. Zachsia zenkewitschi (Teredinidae), a Rare and Unusual Seagrass Boring Bivalve Revisited and Redescribed
@Robert, thanks alot for the information, this really help clear up the confusion. From the reference, the morphology do reassembly each other. Will look into this. Appreciate your help.
Hello Tzeun,
This is definitely a Teredinidae, a shipworm. The genus that bores in to seagrass is Zaschia as Robert says. The little structures on either side of the siphon are called pallets and their morphology is used for species identification.
Nancy
Hi Nancy, thanks.
Ya, I had check several papers on this genus. This interesting as I not aware of them and there were no report in this region also.
Michael
It is great that you found this species. I suggest you save at least the pallets, but preserving the whole specimen in 95% ethanol would be good as you might want to do molecular work on it at some point. Best Regards, Nancy
Thanks Nancy. I found them accidentally in my research project. Ya, had keep the whole specimen in ethanol for future action.
Thanks and best wishes, Michael
Mehment, thanks. Ya, had identify with an expert in seagrass boring bivalve.
Regards
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