Eunicid worm help

[richg315]

So after one of my clowns disappearing without a trace the other day i decided to tear my tank apart. Of course I didnt find the clown but instead found what seems to be a eunicid worm. First question is do they attack and prey on fish? I have heard of them munching corals and zoo's but nothing of fish eating. My clown was a decent size and cant imagine this smaller worm (5-6 inches) attacking and eating it. Are there any ways of capturing it without taking the rock out? The problem is he is living in the largest piece of LR i have in my tank (13 pounds). Any help would be appreciated!!!!

Rich

 

[dreaminmel]

There are a few ways to try and bait worms in our systems but they're usually mentioned in relation to people wanting to trap bristleworms. IMO bristleworms are beneficial. There are specific traps that are made and I've heard of others putting food in pantyhose and collecting them when they get stuck on that. I'm sure others can chime in with other possible tactics.

If what you are dealing with is definately a Eunicid? My best suggestion is to get it out in one piece... Here's a link to the monster someone else dealt with a while back.

http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

6" is a decent size for a common bristleworm

6" is a decent size for a common bristleworm

are you sure it's a Eunicid?

Can you flush it out of the rock and take a pic?

 

[Capt_Cully]

If in fact a Eunecid, you must remove the rock. If you break the worm, you could very well wind up with 2 worms. They are capable of regenerating both tail, AND head....yech!

If it's only 5-6 inches, I doubt it's your culprit.

Pix would help!!!

 

[eugeneK]

here is a fun video I found a few weeks ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t23eylcc-WE

 

[dreaminmel]

I wish you could see the look on my face right now... shock and horror are involved.

 

[sedorusc]

cully should know. that monster you left tim was nasty.

 

[superkat]

here is a fun video I found a few weeks ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t23eylcc-WE

i can't believe i watched that whole thing.....omg.:eek2::hmm4:

 

[richg315]

thanks everyone for the replies....i wish i could get pix but this thing was lightning fast!!! It was a cream color and what i saw of it was cream to brown colored like a centipede. I did not see the face just the tail end. Could this be a bristle worm? In the last couple months I have lost without a trace 2 baby cardinals and 1 clown. I do have a pistol shrimp in my tank....do you think he could be solely responsible?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

at this point

at this point

for all we know the culprit might be a shrimp, could be a worm might even be something else.

 

[Capt_Cully]

Best time to capture it on film might be night time. If you can fashion a red flashlight, it might help locate it, then you can capture its image with a camera/flash.

This whole thread is giving me the willies thinking about the first time I saw mine....

 

[pimpinitup6969]

Mark you should post a picture of the one you caught. GROSSSSSS

 

[superkat]

Best time to capture it on film might be night time. If you can fashion a red flashlight, it might help locate it, then you can capture its image with a camera/flash.

This whole thread is giving me the willies thinking about the first time I saw mine....

dollar store flashlight. red sharpie.

 

[palawan]

The zoas would go first in your tank(if you have any). I don't think the worm is the culprit. I've had a 5ft Eunicid worm in my tank and my clowns were okay but my zoas were disappearing. You might have a crab or bristlestar eating your fish. Do you hear any clicking noises in the evening?

 

[richg315]

I do have the clicking noise as soon as the lights go out....kinda figured it is a pistol shrimp. I have two full rocks of zoas that have been in the tank for about a year. Gonna go on a stakeout tonight and see if i can flash a pic...wish me luck....and thanks for all the replies!!!!

 

[Conesus_Kid]

How big can harmless bristleworms get? The kids found a 12"+ one in the YWG's cave the other day. I haven't been experiencing fish or coral losses (knocks wood), but am wondering about this guy...

 

[sedorusc]

I've had my snails make a clicking noise before kind of twisting themselves quickly. that could be your noise there or could be a hitch-hiker of some type.

 

[LeslieH]

The worm in the video was a fireworm, family Amphinomidae, genus Pherecardia. They are major scavengers & predators on certain corals. All of the big amphinomids will eat any dead fish they can find but as far as we know only Pherecardia eats corals. If one finds a dead animal & it's too big to engulf whole it will clamp its mouth down over rotting areas & slurp up the decaying flesh. There are no confirmed reports of them eating live healthy fish.