Eunice worm or Palola worm?

[Future]

Anyway, I had been told for years that I had a biant bristleworm in my tank, and crappy pictures coinsided with that, but now after getting better pictures, I just found out 2 days ago that my beloved tank cleaner-upper I nick-named "Vile Beast" is not a bristleworm.

It does need to come out of my tank soon as well, so I'll be looking for a taker of this 3ft.+ monster...

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Here's an article about large worms - http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/rs/index.php

 

[LeslieH]

It's a species of Eunice. Palola worms are in the same family - Eunicidae - and look a lot alike.

 

[Future]

I've read many articles, but they are all rather vague on the ID's, but the Eunicidae species is pretty much where the ID ends unless it's broken down even more. It all makes sence, but how should I go about getting it out as well as all the young?

No it's not harming anything in the tank, but I'm not willing to risk it because of the size, and I'm not looking to kill it either. I don't care about the young ones, but this large one has gone through hell and back only to always pop out and say "Hello!"

Now I've narrowed down the burrow in a good size piece of LR where I started placing seaweed sheets it loves, however it's one of the largest LR chunks in the tank and has the largest deep purple coraline patch.

 

[mscarpena]

I am having the same problem, but mine like to eat clams. I have been trying to trap it because it is very large I dont think the entire worm is going in the trap so therefore if is just backing out. I bought the large aquamedic pest trap. I just added about an 18" peice of tubing to it. I have never seen enough of the worm to ID it. I also have no idea what rock mine like to hide in. I am at the point where I am going to add a bunch of fishing hooks to the vinyl tubing and hope to hook him on his way backing out. If you want it alive you will probably need to remove the rock. Your very lucky that it like algae sheet. After mine eat all that is left is a pile of mucus. Mine eats snails, clams, and scallops. Now why do you think there are babies?? I sure hope I dont have any babies.

 

[Future]

I seen them just before I changed substrates, and now the smaller ones are more prominent and roughly between 3-5inches each.

 

[mscarpena]

I figured out mine is a Oenone worm. I read some articles and your only has 4 antenae(from the picture) and all the ones I read about have 3 or 5. Mine eats clams and snails and leaves behind a large mucus trail. There does not seem to be mucj infor aout about these guys. I looked for a picture of mine and there was only one in the reefkeeping mag. Not one other picture. Mine is also a bright yellow so I am 99% sure I found my worm. I am going to try to make some large pvc pipe contraption with a check valve on the end so there is one way out and no way out. I'll let you know how it works in a week or so. Good luck.

 

[skippy2]

I have an Oenone worm too. I can't get him out either. This is the best pic I could get of him.