Comprehensive Description

The Mussel Worm (Nereis vexillosa) is among the more familiar polychaete ("bristle") worms along the west coast of North America. Like other worms in the family Nereididae, it has two palps on the prostomium ("snout") and four pairs of tenticular cirri arising from the sides of the prostomium in front. Nereis vexillosa is mainly gray in color, but with iridescent green, blue, or even pink. It is found in the intertidal zone with mussels and barnacles, as well as on pilings and under rocks and pieces of wood in quiet bays. (Kozloff 1993; Sheldon 1999; Carlton 2007)