Originally Posted by jennythebugg
yes but they do bore into rock
This is the most information I have found about them on another site:
Did you know that worms make coral reefs?
A new theory on the formation of coral reef suggests the involvement of nocturnal worms. Reefs grow from small patches where organisms form a cluster. The first of these organisms need a solid base like a newly formed volcanic island, or so scientists believed. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia did not seem to have a volcanic base or anything similar, which is where the worms come in.
Two marine biologists woke one morning to find that a piece of coral had moved from one side of an aquarium tank to the other to fix itself to a large rock. They kept putting it back and during the night it would move again. The secret was only discovered through the use of an infrared camera, which recorded a worm popping up from the sand about an hour after dark, and using its jaws to transport the coral to the rock. It fixed it on with a kind of glue and could move several pieces each night.
The worm was a Eunicid worm, which is nocturnal. As they grow Eunicid worms need a larger place to live and make their homes from stuff they find on the ocean floor. They grow up to an incredible 2 metres in length. The worms don't actually build the reef but they bring together the materials needed for one to form. Algae and coral larvae settle there and one it has reached a certain size, the reef can begin to grow.
Worms are not the only sea creatures that move things around the sea bed; it is common for certain types of fish and shellfish to do the same. Protecting these worms could be the secret to helping the regeneration of reefs that have been destroyed.
Can you tell me where you found the information about them boreing rock? I am not arguing with you, just want to educate myself.
