Bearded fireworm, gusano de fuego in Spanish (Hermodice carunculata). Playa de San Juan (Canary Islands, Spain), 01/2020. With PAMA DIVING. A marine bristleworm (Polychaeta. It is a voracious predator and feeds on dead or decaying organisms and coral polyps. It is a slow creature and is not considered a threat to humans unless touched by a careless diver (its bristles, when flared, can penetrate human skin, injecting a powerful neurotoxin and producing intense irritation and a painful burning sensation around the area of contact).
