A particularly colorful polychaete is the terebellid worm of the genus Amphitrite. This type of polychaete burrows into mud leaving its head exposed to feed. Using sand or mud and mucus, it constructs a tube around itself, you can often find these tubes under rocks. The terebellid sweeps the surface of the mud with its sticky tentacles for organic particles which stick to them. The bright red seen in the picture above are the gills the worm uses to breath. Click on the image for a closer look. Separate male and female broadcast their gametes into the water as water temperatures rise in the spring.