Euphyllia eating flatworm!

[SDguy]

Every so often I would find bits of my frogspawn tentacles here and there around the tank. Didn't think much of it. Then today I noticed one head had a strange looking mouth. Again, didn't think much of it. This afternoon the head wasn't looking so good, so I looked closer. What I thought was the mouth was actually a white stripe running down the back of an inch long flatworm! It was eating the coral. I've never heard of Euphyllia eating flatworms. Has anyone else? I removed it of course.

 

[RandyO]

A very scary thought, but no, never heard of them. But it seems like there's a new parasite found every day. Been hearing something about red bugs on Euphyllia. I've witnessed some sort of pod crawling on Euphyllia, but no ill effect to the coral.

 

[SDguy]

I'll post some pics. They are a bit over exposed from the white background, but you will get the idea.

 

[djmuzzi]

Many fish nip off ends of frogspawn. I have seen blennies angels & gobies do it... It is possible the worm is just at the scene of the crime.

 

[SDguy]

The flatworm was actually right on top of the middle of one of the heads of the frogspawn. My anthias don't touch corals.


I mean, I see no reason why euphyllia wouldn't have parasites. Everyhting else does. I'm just surpised I've never heard of them before.
Here it is.....almost 1.5" long:

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

These flatties seem more common nowadays than ever... or maybe reefkeepers are becoming more observant. In any event, here's an older related thread:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=627578&highlight=euphyllia+AND+flatworm

 

[SDguy]

Wow, those are much smaller. Also, mine doesn't have that classic "double tail" end.

Guess I'll search for more, just in case. I was hoping this was a strange, large, isolated specimen.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Not likely. I think someone in my local area had some flatties very similar to yours. They're around.

 

[pixburg-reefer]

Yup I found one on my hammer a few months ago. Actutally I bought a hammer with about 5 dead heads, only one head was living on it. I decided to buy it because on the dead heads, to tissue was present or anything, new buds were growing back around the edges and I found it quite interesting. Here is the thread I started for the worm. It's actutally called a polyclad flatworm.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=898264

Kelly