feather duster reproduction

soupysteve

Member
Ok, how do Hawiaan Feather dusters reproduce? I don't care so much about the little guys that pop up all over my LR. I wanna know how the big ones reproduce.
 

oregonbud

Member
Blatently stolen from another site - Rob Toonen is the author of this particular article.
"Because most of the members of this family (and the serpulids described below) reproduce sexually and produce planktonic larvae, there is little risk of them reaching high densities in a reef tank, but there are a few species (such as the "duster cluster worms," Sabella melanostigma, pictured here) that are capable of asexual reproduction, or produce such a short-lived, nonfeeding planktonic larva that they are capable of reproducing within a reef tank. Such species can become so abundant that they literally overrun other animals in the tank, but if they do so, it is likely a symptom of a nutrient problem in the tank. "
From what I have read the big ones you are talking about are the serpulid type, the small ones that we get all over our rock is the sabella melanostigma.
HTH
 
Wish I knew that too....I have 3 Hawaiian's and they have been in the tank for over a year now and haven't reproduced as of yet.
They sell marine

[hr]
??? hehe
 

oregonbud

Member
I doubt you could get the big ones to reproduce in a home style setup - they release a plakton like larva that swims, pretty much food for everything else in our tanks. The other type (the small ones) break a piece off and that new piece is a new duster, which is why we see them multiply pretty quickly in a tank.
Maybe one of the sharks will swim by this thread and have a better answer, but I think the large dusters are pretty hard to breed in captivity.
 
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