Bearded Fireworm

Bearded fireworms are usually 15 cm (6 inches) in average length, but can reach up to 30 cm (12 inches).

The bearded fireworm lives throughout the tropical coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean. On the eastern side they are found from Algeria to Liberia, and on the western side from the southeast coast of the United States to Guyana, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. They are also found in the Mediterranean Sea, especially around the Italian coasts. A significant population structure exists between the Caribbean / Brazil population of H. carunculata, and those from the eastern Atlantic (Canary Islands) and eastern Mediterranean.

This fireworm is found in many marine living environments such as corals, rocks, mud, sand, posidonia, and on drifting wood as well as port infrastructure in shallow water from the surface to 40 m (130 feet) deep.