Feather duster changing color?

[Mr.Orange]

Hello all,

Long time lurker, first time poster here. I've been around for quite awhile and this place is my one stop shop for advice and I see a lot of good opinions around here. I have never felt compelled to post because honestly every question I have ever had has been answered through the search feature. So, having said that hopefully I haven't missed the answer to this queston.

I picked up a feather duster yesterday, not sure of exact species and he has just been peeking the crown out slightly so far. I noticed however that the white areas on the crown are changing from a light green to white, back and forth. I thought I was going crazy at first but this is really happening. The only thing I'm not sure of is if it is just the angle of the cilia perhaps as they move in the current, or if it is truly changing. Does anyone have any info on this? All thoughts appreciated, thank you.

Edited May 12, 2010 by Mr.Orange

[Dmarmontello]

Hello all,

Long time lurker, first time poster here. I've been around for quite awhile and this place is my one stop shop for advice and I see a lot of good opinions around here. I have never felt compelled to post because honestly every question I have ever had has been answered through the search feature. So, having said that hopefully I haven't missed the answer to this queston.

I picked up a feather duster yesterday, not sure of exact species and he has just been peeking the crown out slightly so far. I noticed however that the white areas on the crown are changing from a light green to white, back and forth. I thought I was going crazy at first but this is really happening. The only thing I'm not sure of is if it is just the angle of the cilia perhaps as they move in the current, or if it is truly changing. Does anyone have any info on this? All thoughts appreciated, thank you.

 

 

I have never heard of a feather duster changing colors. The only time mine changed was when it shed its crown (all of the feathers) and re-grew them over the next couple of months in a different color pattern. My guess is that is would be the angle of lighting or something.

[lakshwadeep]

Do you have a picture?

[Mr.Orange]

Do you have a picture?

 

I just posted a video on youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1NBaAVqxGc

[Pilg0re]

I've never seen that before, very interesting!

[Mr.Orange]

I've never seen that before, very interesting!

 

Yeah it's definitely something I thought was odd, although this is admittedly my first duster. I also am starting to think that is the extent of his crown. I hope I'm wrong on that.

[GokesReef]

+1 to different angles of light

 

Either way, very cool video.

Edited May 13, 2010 by Xris

[lakshwadeep]

Neat video! I've never heard about this before, but the crown looks small for a worm of that size. Maybe that's the base of the crown.

 

I did find one similar case here ("Re: Coco Worm with "heads" that change color! 1/30/07"):

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/polychaebehfaqs.htm?h=

[Dmarmontello]

Very weird!

 

That is the start of a crown.. that will grow over the next couple of weeks to a large size. It looks like a Hawaiian Feather Duster, which will get fairly big.

[Mr.Orange]

Thanks for all the replies, I'm glad I could share!

 

I did find one similar case here ("Re: Coco Worm with "heads" that change color! 1/30/07"):

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/polychaebehfaqs.htm?h=

 

It looks like that coco worm was doing the same thing, thanks for the find.

 

 

That is the start of a crown.. that will grow over the next couple of weeks to a large size. It looks like a Hawaiian Feather Duster, which will get fairly big.

 

If it grows back that fast then I probably won't return it. It might be cool to watch it regrow.

[alfa1six4]

I bought one from Live Aquaria a few months back and it does the same thing. It's very cool to watch the colors change from white to green/blue and back. Right now mine appears to be building a new or rebuilding his tube using the sand.

[Dmarmontello]

Yeah hang on to it. It will grow slowly each day, i enjoyed watching mine re-grow

[kamikaze_fish]

I thought you were crazy until I watched the video. Very cool.

[Mr.Orange]

I thought you were crazy until I watched the video. Very cool.

[Erica]

 My feather duster is doing the same thing! I noticed it right after I fed him plankton

[Proudmomof2]

Hi, I know it's been an old thread, but I just got a second duster a yellowish green and noticed that after I feed phytoplankton that it actually does pulsate it's colors from inward to outward and back on one side to the other to a darker color. I watched the feathers and never see any movement just the color change like a cuddlefish. We got it from Petco but it looks way older has a long tube small crown and almost like off a reef with different algae on it. I know they get from supposedly tank raised third parties but in Florida we do have alot of local LFS that have wild caught stock and my other duster a Hawaiian has a larger crown and a small tube and doesn't do this. My question is did anyone find out a name for this species if so. Thanks.

*Attached video. There is about another two inches of the tube under the sand. Acclimated 3 hours.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/P25ZVMt92ycCRMZX7