It is native to shallow waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean and forms colonies of tubes on rocks and submerged objects.

Worms in the family Chaetopteridae have soft bodies and occupy permanent chitinous or parchment-like tubes that they create.

[5] It can reproduce asexually by dividing to form new individuals, or can breed sexually by shedding sperm and eggs into the sea.

[3] The dense colonies of branching tubes of this worm provide a habitat with an abundance of food and low risk of predation for the juveniles of some species of starfish.

Researchers in Washington state found that the larvae of the vermillion sea star (Mediaster aequalis) preferentially settled on the tubes.