Biology

The time of spawning varies greatly in different areas. Females with ripe eggs have been observed from May until autumn. Like all cirratulids, this species has non-pelagic larvae. Its life span does not exceed 2 years. C. setosa leads a sedentary life within the sediment and also lives in empty burrows of other polychaetes. The members of the family Cirratulidae primarily are deposit feeders that are mainly non-selective, but may be selective as in the case of C. setosa (Hartmann-Schröder, 1971; Wolff, 1973; Curtis, 1977; Fauchald & Jumars, 1979; Christie, 1985; Hily, 1987).