Bright red eunicid worm?

[ACBlinky]

I just looked into my 90g with a small flashlight and saw a large (probably 6-8" long, about 1/4" wide) bright red worm eating my GSP. The coral has completely covered a large rock and started to grow upwards into the water column (it has little lobe-like projections, it's a strange growth pattern), and the worm was consuming one of these loose pieces. It looked just like a caterpillar with a leaf -- it took a series of bites, moving in one direction, then turned around and munched back the other way, leaving the edge of coral shredded.

It retreated back into the rock when I shone the flashlight near, but I did get a fairly good look at the beast and it looks like a eunicid or similar worm. This is definitely not a bristle worm; this thing had tentacles on its face, no little white bristles (but it did have spines sticking out, it wasn't smooth like an earthworm), and judging from the shape it left the piece of GSP in, it's got big teeth and a good appetite. Its entire body appeared to be light red.

I have a mantis shrimp trap, and I set it up near the worm's rock. If this doesn't work, is there anything else I can try without removing the rock? The GSP has grown from the LR onto surrounding rocks and the overflow, and would be difficult to remove -- I would have to cut the colony into pieces.

LeslieH, or anyone else who has seen/dealt with a bright red coral-eating worm, help! Thanks

 

[LeslieH]

If you don't want to remove the rock your only hope is to bait it out. Some people have had good results using a long tube or piece of hose with caps at the ends. The bait is put at one end which is capped so the worm has to crawl deep into the hose from the other end which is kept open. Keep watch & when the worm is inside yank the tube out. See more details at http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1327214&highlight=worm+tube+bait

 

[LeslieH]

Oh - and be sure to take a picture of it for me!