Thread Sludgeworm Notomastus tenius As you start to dig a hole in the mid to low intertidal zone of a muddy or sandy mud beach you will notice threads spanning the cracks in the sediment. These threads are polychaete worms that riddle the mud with their burrows. They are around 1/16 inch wide and up to 8 inches long. They are members of the family Capitellidae which are commonly found in sediments with a high organic component. They are often quite abundant and are important for processing the organic material in the sediment. In turn they are fed upon by a variety if predators including shorebirds. They can be found from the intertidal zone to several hundred feet subtidally and from southern Alaska to southern California.

Thread Sludgeworm Notomastus tenius

As you start to dig a hole in the mid to low intertidal zone of a muddy or sandy mud beach you will notice threads spanning the cracks in the sediment. These threads are polychaete worms that riddle the mud with their burrows. They are around 1/16 inch wide and up to 8 inches long.

They are members of the family Capitellidae which are commonly found in sediments with a high organic component. They are often quite abundant and are important for processing the organic material in the sediment. In turn they are fed upon by a variety if predators including shorebirds.

They can be found from the intertidal zone to several hundred feet subtidally and from southern Alaska to southern California.