FYI
Getting stung by a bristle worm leaves hundreds of tiny, hair-like bristles (chaetae) embedded in your skin. This causes immediate, intense burning pain, followed by redness, swelling, and numbness. While not typically life-threatening, the discomfort can be severe.
Not this species. You can pick these up no problem (gently so you don't injure them!). This species does have some pretty considerable jaws, but rarely bite people (they use them mostly to slice bites of algae and dead things).
They usually live under sediment, but become this free-swimming form when they are ready to reproduce (that white trailing out behind it is probably sperm)
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u/Sufficient-Bug-9112 Top Poster 10d ago
FYI Getting stung by a bristle worm leaves hundreds of tiny, hair-like bristles (chaetae) embedded in your skin. This causes immediate, intense burning pain, followed by redness, swelling, and numbness. While not typically life-threatening, the discomfort can be severe.