Iridescent worm

Arabella iricolor

Other invertebrates
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth0–62 m
Water temperature1–29 °C
Best monthsJune, July, and August
How commonOccasional

All species

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 48 records
February: 71 records
March: 122 records
April: 110 records
May: 61 records
June: 151 records
July: 148 records
August: 244 records
September: 107 records
October: 60 records
November: 59 records
December: 23 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 0–62 m · Deepest record: 646 m

0–10 m: 200 records
10–20 m: 91 records
20–30 m: 43 records
30–40 m: 135 records
40–50 m: 192 records
50–60 m: 89 records
60–70 m: 31 records
70–80 m: 9 records
80–90 m: 11 records
90–100 m: 6 records
100–110 m: 7 records
110+ m: 38 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 1–29 °C

0–2 °C: 1 records
2–4 °C: 0 records
4–6 °C: 0 records
6–8 °C: 0 records
8–10 °C: 7 records
10–12 °C: 37 records
12–14 °C: 391 records
14–16 °C: 34 records
16–18 °C: 24 records
18–20 °C: 50 records
20–22 °C: 15 records
22–24 °C: 31 records
24–26 °C: 61 records
26–28 °C: 38 records
28–30 °C: 16 records

Names and classification

English: Iridescent worm, Opal worm, iridescent worm, Iridescent Worm, opal worm, Opal Worm

Names in 2 more languages

German: Opalwurm
Japanese: セグロイソメ

Other scientific names: Arabella (Arabella) iricolor, Arabella dubia, Arabella lagunae, Arabella longicirrata, Arabella maculata, Arabella quadristriata, Arabella setosa, Aracoda iricolor, Aracoda moebiana, Drilonereis pinnata, Lumbriconereis longissima, Lumbriconereis opalina, Lumbriconereis quadristriata, Lumbriconereis splendida, Lumbrinereis st-hilaryi, Lumbrineris dubia, Lumbrineris gigantea, Lumbrineris maculata, Lumbrineris tricolor, Maclovia gigantea, Maclovia iricolor, Nereis iricolor, Nereis tricolor, Notocirrus margaraticeus, Notocirrus margaritaceus, Notocirrus tricolor, Oenone maculata

Similar species

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
1,812 open-data records from 1804 to 2022.

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