What is this tube-like thing?

[nkw5]

I took these pics at Breakwater in Monterey. What is it? Apparently a bat star thinks it's food.

 

[Diver0001]

Looks like a sea-cucumber to me.

R..

PS, BTW it's a great picture. Makes an excellent desktop.

R..

 

[vapovick]

tube worm, like a feather duster, thats what it looks like, they buide that tube out of there,,,, ummm... you know..... poop!

 

[archman]

dang, what's the diameter of that thing?!

 

[nkw5]

dang, what's the diameter of that thing?!

They are huge; at least 3 inches in diameter and almost 2 feet long.

I think vapovick is right--that it is a tube worm, but I have never seen tube worms like all the pics I googled after reading his post. I'm assuming the ones I saw were dead. It has been stormy in Monterey lately, so they may have washed up from the depths. I have no clue.

Diver0001, thanks for the compliment, but there are many other better subjects for a desktop, esp. if we're looking at

ummm... you know..... poop!

 

[Mr.X]

They are huge; at least 3 inches in diameter and almost 2 feet long.

I think vapovick is right--that it is a tube worm, but I have never seen tube worms like all the pics I googled after reading his post. I'm assuming the ones I saw were dead. It has been stormy in Monterey lately, so they may have washed up from the depths. I have no clue.

Diver0001, thanks for the compliment, but there are many other better subjects for a desktop, esp. if we're looking at

It's been a while since I have dived the breakwater but from the size I imagine it is one of the burrowing anemones that frequent the area. If it's a worm...it's bigger than I have ever seen for that locality. Here's a link to this species:
http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/living_species/default.asp?hOri=0&hab=7&inhab=144


p.s. I imagine that the critter was dead because the tentacles looked like they have been munched on?

 

[MarkH]

Yes, looks like a tube-dwelling anemone. I've only ever seen a few inches of the tube sticking up out of the sand and I had no idea the buried end was so long.

 

[AdTravels]

Hi NKW 5

By your discription of the size and the texture of the skin, I would say it was a Tiger Tail Sea Cucumber, or a simmilar species found of California. They commonly leave their base in the reef and stretch out over reef and san areas to feed. Although it is possible for tube worms to reach up to 2 feet in length it's very unlikely as these species live down on the abyssal plain.

 

[TheRedHead]

I would say it was a Tiger Tail Sea Cucumber

I thought this was a Tiger Tail Sea Cucumber:

 

[nkw5]

Okay. I change my theory. I took pics of a dead tube-dwelling anemone that somehow got dug up. I should've known; tube anemones are everywhere at BW.

I agree with swankenstein:

I've only ever seen a few inches of the tube sticking up out of the sand and I had no idea the buried end was so long.