The freemasonry of the shore

Ran down to the old harbour to catch the low tide for razor clams -- but none were in evidence. The foreshore, exposed by the receding water, was tufted like a doormat with the frondy tubes of sand masons. These marine worms, which can be a foot/30 centimetres long, live in individual tubes that they construct out of sand particles glued together with their own mucus. There's a wonderful photograph here that reveals the microscopic masonry, like mosaic jewelry.

The top portion of the tube protrudes from sand with the worm's tentacles fanned out waiting to be submerged again so that it can collect plankton from the water. In fact in the larval stage the worms are free-floating plankton themselves and look rather beautiful as can be seen in this macro image.

I can't think of a link to West Africa (although I don't doubt these or similar marine tube worms can be found there) but while I have been composing this blip my younger son, who writes music reviews for online journals, has been playing a remix of a song by the legendary Guinean singer Mory Kanté, and I can't get it out of my head. I suppose you could say it's become an ear worm. Do have a listen.