The tale of mating habits is incorrect-maybe based loosely on banana
slugs.  In fact, these are the palolo worms, well-known to Samoan
gourmets.

In reproduction, at certain times of the year the back end of the worm
develops into a series of egg or sperm-stuffed segments.  The worm
backs out of the burrow and the specialized rear end (an epitoke)
breaks off and swims to the surface at a particular time of day (often
dusk or dawn).  The segments burst, releasing gametes that meet up in
the water and fertilize, growing into little trochophores.  All the
local predators eat as much as they can, but the huge numbers ensure
some survival.  Meanwhile, the front end stays lurking in its burrow,
eating whatever it can catch, and growing until next time to produce
an epitoke.

Even a small predatory polychaete can have a strong bite.   (Although
one of the websites suggested that they ate algae, a handy
invertebrate zoology text says the family is carnivorous.) I recall an
experiment from a marine lab summer camp where we were supposed to
determine the osmotic response of a standard small predatory
polychaete to changing salinity by weighing the worms before and after
exposure to different salinity.  My group had inconclusive results
because halfway through the experiment, the bigger one bit the smaller
one in two and ate the tail end.  Thus, the "bobbitt" name might be a
valid reminder to always wear your wetsuit.

--
Dr. David Campbell
425 Scientific Collections
University of Alabama
"I think of my happy condition, surrounded by acres of clams"

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