Feather duster parasites?

[invertaman]

I was looking at my feather duster today and noticed tiny tubes attached to the side of the main tube. they're only like a millimeter. but there are 2 tiny antenna sticking out of the tube. are these parasites, could they be babies?

 

[Tayler]

they are probably spionid worms they are harmless and won't hurt your feather duster.

tayler

 

[invertaman]

Are you talking about the ones that attach themselves to the glass and they have white spiral tubes? if so, thats not what i'm talking about and these are protruding from the tube.

 

[LeslieH]

The small spiralled ones are small feather dusters called spirorbids. Spionids build soft tubes and have 2 feeding appendages that they extend out of the tube to gather organic particles. Another possibility is that the tubes belong to some kind of small crustacean like a amphipods or tanaids that are filter feeding with their antennae. If the appendages are soft & curled they belong to a polychaete; if stiffer & jointed they're crustacean.