Image of Paralvinella palmiformis Desbruyères & Laubier 1986

Description:

This view of the head of a preserved specimen shows the spaghetti-like ciliated tentacles used for feeding, plus the bushy gills dorsal to them. In life the animal would be bright pink or brownish-red.. It can be difficult for the non-expert to determine which side is dorsal and which side is ventral in polychaetes. In this case, the spaghetti-like feeding tentacles are on the ventral side and the feather-like gills are dorsal.