Help ID This Large Worm Which Comes Out At Night (Pics)

[joeychitwood]

I first noticed this large worm during a red-light check of my tank a couple of hours after the lights turned off the other night. I've not seen it before. The exposed body was about three inches long, and it's about 1/4 to 3/8 inch in diameter.

When I turned the room lights on, it withdrew into a hole in the LR. Can anyone help ID this worm for me? Is it a good guy or a bad guy?

 

[LeslieH]

It's a chiton in the genus Cryptoplax. Beneficial cleaner.

 

[joeychitwood]

Thanks, LeslieH! I found photos on Google based on your ID, and that's it. From what I've read, it seems to be a large specimen.

 

[Tammy3770]

thats the same one I have,
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=753301

 

[MyMonkey]

Cool little buggar.

 

[joeychitwood]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6529235#post6529235 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tammy3770
thats the same one I have,
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=753301

That's it. Yours has the same markings on its back, only mine is quite stretched out.

I'm always amazed at the new critters that show up after months in the tank.

 

[BLAZEHOK68]

EWWWW...

 

[Tammy3770]

yea I can tell by your pic that its the same kind.
as you can see from my post there that I've been seeing mine for quite a long time.
when I was googling it some article said they can live up to 20 years.

 

[reefpeep2004]

I have one of those. I've only seen him once though.