Do bristleworms bore into rock?

[Bruno3047]

I'm finding little piles of dust under 1/4" diameter holes in my reef rock.

Any ideas?

 

[nemofish2217]

I could be mistaken, but I don't think bristleworms typically bore...I think they like holes to hide in and like to dig in the sand...

 

[Bruno3047]

Well, something is definitely digging holes into my rocks.

Anyone have a clue what it might be?

 

[gprdypoo04]

Have the same thing to

 

[Bruno3047]

Yep. Looks like it's the bristle worms:

"Reef notes:
Bristle worms are a large group of worms with many different ways of feeding, moving, and reproducing. They are found in all oceans from shallow intertidal reefs to deep depths. They live on or burrow into sand, mud, shell debris, rocks and coral rubble. Some eat their way through muddy sediments, some eat algae and others are accomplished predators. They are a great favourite food of fish, crabs and are hunted by predatory snails."

http://www.reef.edu.au/asp_pages/secb.asp?FormNo=34

Could be time add some bristleworm predators to my tank.

 

[nemofish2217]

interesting.... learned something new....Unless its really bothering you I would hesitate to get rid of the bristleworms. Generally (unless they get really big) they stay out of the way and are great for cleaning up...

 

[Bruno3047]

I don't know what to think at this point. I’ve read many things about their value as detritus scavengers. I also read a lot of stuff about bristle worms growing large enough, unnoticed, to be nasty predators of corals and clams, etc.

This worries me. If the type of bristleworm I have in my tank can bore through rock to scavenge for food, what’s to stop him from boring through a clam’s shell to get to a tasty clam.

I think I’d rather just lose the bristleworms now than take a chance with a prized clam or coral in the future, when the sucker will be even bigger.

 

[IFbettas]

I got a sixline wrasse for this reason. There used to be bristle worms everywhere, and some were getting rather large. After adding the wrasse now I only see the ocassional worm, and they are never as big as they used to be.

 

[Bruno3047]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14073238#post14073238 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by IFbettas
I got a sixline wrasse for this reason. There used to be bristle worms everywhere, and some were getting rather large. After adding the wrasse now I only see the ocassional worm, and they are never as big as they used to be.

Sounds like a plan.

 

[noboddi]

There are worms that bore into rock, there are tiny clams that bore into rock, there are unclassified critters that bore into rock. I don't know of any bristleworms that do it, but there are all sorts of worms. Just part of reef diversity.

 

[fcmatt]

maybe the small holes in the rock were filled with crap
and the worms simply removed it.. thus the piles you see.

 

[reefworm]

I agree with noboddi. Bristleworms may indeed burrow through muddy sediment, but that's hardly rock. Likely there are other culprits. As for them growing large enough to become predatory that's unlikely as well. Diet with these guys is not a function of size. Many of us have had worms of several inches in length - they just eat up more detritus. The really large worms that mow down zoas and the like are likely eunicid worms - truly unwanted guests. Have a look:
http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm

 

[Bruno3047]

What about this?

"P. ciliata is found in crevices within rocks, on soft sediments and is also recorded as a boring species - burrowing into rocks and mollusc shells."

http://www.marine.csiro.au/crimp/images/NIMPIS_PDF/6127.PDF

 

[mc-cro]

interesting. it also says they are a brownish yellowish worm. not the typical red/orange bristleworm that people see in tanks.

I dunno, if you are really that worried about it , you may wan tto get a worm predator

 

[reefworm]

Good article, and point taken. Polycheates are a very broad category, and apparently not all of them tunnel. Our friend may have one that does, then. Also found this article from Rob Toonen about species that have been known to bore into tricadna clams, or others that actually smother animals with mucus. Fortunately haven't had to deal with either of those!
http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_net/0697/0697_2.html
Bruno may have to keep that in mind if he plans on keeping clams.

 

[greenbean36191]

Yeah, you're doing lots of lumping and drawing inappropriate conclusions. The term "bristleworm" refers to all polychaetes- several thousand species, from featherdusters, to spaghetti worms, to eunicids, and the typical fireworms. They're lots of different worms with very different behavior, a few of which that bore into rock.

When hobbyists use the term they're usually referring more specifically to the amphinomids (aka fireworms) like Eurythoe. These guys do not bore rock. In fact, they don't even have jaws. With the exception of Hermodice carunculata, which is extremely rare in the hobby, these are harmless regardless of size.

I'm not sure why you're so concerned about boring anyway. Rock boring creatures are a huge part of the reef fauna and virtually all of them do it to find protection, not food. The animals that bore into shells for food tend to be specialized at that and don't bore into rock. There's little overlap between groups.