Complete!

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"The Reef Antlerworm, a robust and ill-tempered marine

predator with a broad distribution in the warmer waters of Chri-irah, has been

of interest to birrin natural historians, and fishermen, for some time.

 Reaching a maximum length of around 3 feet, this species,

one of the larger of this group, is dwarfed by the more rarely encountered

giants of the deeper oceans, still manages to dominate its shallow water

habitat. Hunted by divers for thousands of years for both its meat and egg masses,

scientific interest has been focused on its informative anatomically

adaptations, which offer important clues into the early evolution of the

quadrilaterians to which the birrin belong.

 Relying on surprise when hunting, the reef antlerworm

insinuates itself among marine debris on reefs and wrecks, showing only the

tips of its sensory tentacles and eyestalks as it waits for prey, predators or

rivals. Any small creature that swims too close is rapidly subdued in an

explosive tangle of tentacles that erupt from around the mouth. The huge

ornamental jaws are opened during prey capture, both to threaten any

opportunistic predators, and simply to make room for food to pass. Spines at

the jaws’ base help push prey down the expansive gullet, most of which is

swallowed whole.

 The jaws, actually a slight encumbrance when feeding,

come into their own when antlerworms meet one another. Prime hunting spots on a

reef can be hard to come by, and prey concentrations can change with tides and

seasons. There is a constant battle to secure the best reef hollows and caves,

and the worms often leave their haunts to attempt to find somewhere more

productive. If they find a more desirable site is already taken, both will rise

up from the sea floor, jaws held wide, and face off. If one set of jaws is

obviously larger than the other, the smaller worm will usually retreat. Evenly

matched opponents, however begin by locking jaws and pushing one another to

determine strength. If that is not enough, a furious and usually brief fight

begins, each trying to injure the other. The loser, sometimes fatally wounded,

retreats. If no longer mobile, it may even be partially eaten.

While not a ‘primitive’ organism, the antlerworms belong

to a group that split off from the main quadrilaterian branch hundreds of

millions of years ago. While the branch containing the birrin maintained its

stalked eyes and sensory tentacles in many cases, they presently play no role

in feeding. However, as revealed by fossils such as the BASKETWORM, what become

eyestalks in the birrin were originally lophophoroid structures evolved to

catch food via filter feeding. Rather than reducing their role in prey capture,

the branch that become antlerworms vastly increased the size and strength of

these organs, using them as powerful tentacles capable of both sensing and

grasping prey. The eye spots, initially at the ends of the tentacles, evolved

downwards and away from the vulnerable tips to nearer the body and are thus

protected from struggling food.

 These adaptations offer scientists a window into the

early role of quadrilatarian sensory tentacles, and why, even if not directly

involved in feeding among the birrin and their relatives, remain evolutionarily

important to the group today."