Gallery worm

Capitella capitata

Other invertebrates
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth0–87 m
Water temperature-1–29 °C
Best monthsApril, May, and September
How commonCommon

About this species

Capitella capitata is a polychaete worm that grows up to 10 cm in length. It is often blood-red in colour. The species is sedentary and fragile, with a flexible body.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Capitella capitata”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 406 records
February: 325 records
March: 2,267 records
April: 3,227 records
May: 3,369 records
June: 1,708 records
July: 1,303 records
August: 1,734 records
September: 2,307 records
October: 1,933 records
November: 973 records
December: 253 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 0–87 m · Deepest record: 5,415.5 m

0–10 m: 6,255 records
10–20 m: 2,057 records
20–30 m: 699 records
30–40 m: 433 records
40–50 m: 182 records
50–60 m: 61 records
60–70 m: 81 records
70–80 m: 78 records
80–90 m: 55 records
90–100 m: 125 records
100–110 m: 120 records
110+ m: 843 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of -1–29 °C

-2–0 °C: 2 records
0–2 °C: 5 records
2–4 °C: 0 records
4–6 °C: 2 records
6–8 °C: 2 records
8–10 °C: 26 records
10–12 °C: 470 records
12–14 °C: 161 records
14–16 °C: 12 records
16–18 °C: 8 records
18–20 °C: 5 records
20–22 °C: 7 records
22–24 °C: 6 records
24–26 °C: 5 records
26–28 °C: 6 records
28–30 °C: 2 records

Names and classification

English: Gallery worm, gallery worm, Gallery Worm

Names in 2 more languages

Japanese: イトゴカイ, ナミイトゴカイ, ナミイトゴカイ／イトゴカイ
Korean: 등가시버들갯지렁이

Other scientific names: Ancistria acuta, Capitella fabricii, Capitella intermedia, Capitella prototypa, Capitella similis, Lombricus canalium, Lumbriconais marina, Lumbricus capitatus, Lumbricus ciliatus, Lumbricus littoralis, Matla bengalensis, Saenuris barbata, Valla ciliata

Similar species

Capitella minima
Capitella sp. I
Capitella teleta
Capitellid thread worm
Heteromastus filiformis
Barantolla lepte
Dasybranchus caducus
Mud dwelling thread worm
Mediomastus californiensis

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.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
42,195 open-data records from 1780 to 2025.
Species data updated November 1, 2026.

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