Bearded fireworm?

[Nightwitch]

I've got a hitchhiker in a new tank that is red with white bristles, like a bearded fireworm, but it's only about 2mm wide and maybe 6mm long. Do fireworms get that small? Any ideas on what else it could be? I don't know much about worms. It's kind of cool though, keeps crawling around a particular piece of liverock, moving from hole to hole.

 

[greenbean36191]

What you're seeing is almost definitely a fireworm, however it's almost definitely not a bearded fireworm. Bearded fireworms are a specific species that is only found in the Caribbean and as a result very rarely makes it into the hobby. In almost a decade in the hobby I can count on my fingers the number of times I've seen anyone get one. All of the other fireworms are desireable scavengers and pose no threat to anything in your tank.

 

[Nightwitch]

Thanks very much! It still amazes me some of the weird stuff that comes in on live rock.