Thylacodes arenarius (Linnaeus, 1767)
Mediterranean. Suspension feeder in the shallow infralittoral down to the circalittoral. The tube is always attached to some hard substrate. Original taxon: Serpula arenaria.
40m deep, on dead shell of Bolma rugosa, among rocks, Adra, Almería, Andalucia, S. Spain. Ø 9mm x 58mm width.
Synonyms: dentifer, horridus, lineolata, polyphragma, scopulosus, selectus, verrucosus…
 
The animal, when fishing the microplankton, secretes some filaments of mucus. Body red, spotted with beige or golden yellow. Above: a specimen pictured on the northern flank of the Planier shoal, SW. of Marseille, Provence, S. France. Original picture provided by S. Le Bris for iNaturalist – (CC BY-NC).
Les Empereurs, south of Riou Island, Marseilleveyre coast, south of Marseille. Original picture provided by S. Le Bris for iNaturalist – (CC BY-NC).
Pouars cove, Calseraigne Island, Marseilleveyre coast.
Original picture provided by S. Le Bris for iNaturalist.
– (CC BY-NC) –
In nets, at 40-60m deep, Aci Trezza, Catania, E. Sicily.
Ø 9-11mm x circa 80mm.
The species in S. Clessin: “Die Familie Vermetidae” (including Caecidae and Siliquariidae), Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet Bd.6:Abt.6, Nürnberg 1901, plate VII.
 
« Testa tubularis, plerumque irregulariter contorta, partim affixa, cylindrica, liris decurrentibus granulosis numerosis sculpta, hic illic transversim varicosa; apertura circularis; intus septis irregularibus concavis munita. » – op. cit. p.46.
Young Aplysina aerophoba (Nardo, 1833), recognizable for its yellow colour and its little tubular extensions (here yet very little and somewhat translucent), on an arenarius. On rocky substrate colonized by Peyssonnelia squamaria (S.G. Gmelin) Decaisne ex J.Agardh, 1842; low infralittoral, off Miomo, NE. Corsica. Original picture provided by D. Renoult for iNaturalist – (CC BY-NC).
30m deep, Žirje island, Šibenik archipelago, SW. Croatia.
Size about 60mm, max. diam. about 13mm.
Original pictures provided by N. Lete (HR).
– (CC BY-NC-SA) –
Les Tables diving spot, Cap d’Agde, Hérault, S. France. Original picture provided by P. Corbrion for iNaturalist.
– (CC BY-NC-SA) –

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