Nereis vexillosa

The Mud Worm

Phylum Annelida
Class Polychaeta
Order Phyllodocida
Family Nereidae
Genus Nereis
Species vexillosa

Description: 15 cm in length; color is gray with iridescent green, blue and some red; female posterior is redder than male posterior; fleshy parapodia, turn into paddlelike structures for swimming when sexually mature; head with four pair of tentacles; heavy jaws with eversible pharynx.

Habitat: Found among mussels and barnacles on pilings, on gravelly beaches and under rocks.

Natural History: It uses its sharp jaws with black pincers to rip seaweed and to grab small invertebrates, including other worms. They also feed on detritus. Periodically during the summer, huge swarms paddle to the surface, using their expanded parapodia, to mate. This worm can be found throughout the South Sound.