ID this worm, with an attitude

[21Reefman]

This guy is a rock chewing omnivour, that has no trouble manipulating a blasomussa colony rock, as if it were a feather. I see him coming out for algea on newly added pieces as well as meaty foods. He has 4 holes in this rock that I see him float between. I always used to try to place/wedge frags in these holes and every morning they were cleared away! He is out growing the tunnels and is adding rubble and zoa frgs to his hole to extend his reach while still being covered. What do I have here??

 

[21Reefman]

Here is a zoom of that last pic. And I meant BlasTomussa. hehe

 

[Sk8r]

eunice norvegica? I'm suspicious it's not a nice one.
Try Animal Library Invertebrates site.

 

[rustybucket145]

Great Pics. Here are some images I came up with of eunice norvegica:

and the most similar:

Keep in mind that there are literally thousands species of bristleworms and though eunice has a bad reputation that may not be what you have. I would personally keep a close eye on him. Observe his behavior and make sure is not eating anything you don't want him to eat.

 

[21Reefman]

Thanks, rustybucket, I saw those too. I have had trouble finding any info on what it eats or why it has a bad rep. I also would like to know how to get rid of it??? I thought about flushing his holes with some hot fresh water (from a syringe) to see if he comes out. He already bothers me because he is so strong, and is constructing an addition to his lair. And he's not too cute either.

 

[paulallen]

Try putting some food in a 20oz bottle near his hole. Leave it in there for awhile if he goes in when you are watching you can cap it and pull him out. If he takes the bait when you arent watching restock it, he should get more confortable going into the bottle. Then you can watch him and catch him after a couple tries.

 

[21Reefman]

good idea, It is in a bad spot for that though.

 

[Unlikely_Hero]

During a bristle worm destroying phase of mine, I tried using something that someone here had suggested for me: wrap a piece of raw cooking shrimp in a well-rinsed piece of pantyhose and put it near the hole. If he takes the bait, he'll get his spines stuck in the hose and you'll be able to toss him.

 

[CaptiveReef]

You don't want this guy in your tank!!!

You don't want this guy in your tank!!!

Check out how big your worm will get from this site, Steve Weast had the same worm just alot bigger!!!!!!!
http://oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm

:eek2: CaptiveReef

 

[21Reefman]

WOW! That is a BIG MO-Fo!! Thanks for the link!

 

[Untamed12]

There are lots of variations of Eunicid worms and there's no guarantee that your's will achieve any record breaking size.

I can attest that the exact one that you've photographed can attain a length of nearly 2 feet because that is how large mine was before he met his end somehow.

That particular one is gold/brown with a distinct while collar, that's how I know it was the same as mine. (so I know you have Florida live rock)

I have never seen mine eat any kind of coral....and it lived directly behind my claim and never once showed any interest in the clam, except for shelter. Generally, they tend to eat whatever is put in front of them. Fun to feed with tongs! Try it!

I also have a much larger species whose body is nearly the thickness of my little finger. I've never seen his back end, so I don't know how long he is. He is exclusively vegetarian, thank goodness!

 

[21Reefman]

Untamed12, Your good, I do have FL rock. I would never buy this concrete again though. LOL

 

[LeslieH]

It's definitely in the genus Eunice.and definitely not norvegica. A lot of eunicids have the same color pattern of gold/brown with a white collar so that's not a big help in determining the species. The bigger an Eunice is the more likely it is to eat corals so keep an eye on it or at least keep it well fed. They're also rock movers & can move surprisingly big chunks of rock as you've probably found out.

If you do get it out I'd like to have it and I don't mind if it's dead as long as it's preserved!

 

[21Reefman]

I will let you know.

 

[Dwayne]

You said the coke bottle trick wouldn't work because of space. I had seen Steve Weast's info before and it might be the solution to your problem. If you want it out of the tank, build a trap from small PVC pipe. To the worm this is just another hole to crawl through. Have the 'trap' go any direction to any place in your tank. I'd try to end it in a attachable coke bottle. This way you could still use the bottle for bait. Once you see the worm in the bottle, you can pull out the pvc pipe and dump the worm into a bucket. Then make sure to take pics for everyone.

 

[21Reefman]

If he comes out, I will deff take lots of pics. I'm not really excited about his presence, and I am leaning towards removal. Yet, the fact that he has not eaten any coral has me torn. I have been trying to lure him out for a better pic, he is SO good at keeping hidden.

 

[exo]

I have one of these guys too. I can see him in the gravel under the tank...He has Hiways made through my sand bed and makes lots of dust all the time...I estimate that he is over three feet and about the size of a your small finger diameter. I dont think that he will go into a bottle all the way. Ive never seen the him all the way out just a few inches like 9. Im thinking that if you try and pull the upper part of the body it will brake and they you have 2.

 

[exo]

oh yes He is at least 5 years old now, comming in on some florida rock..

 

[21Reefman]

yeah, those tunnels are cool. They build a tunnel with sand and debris it gels together like snot. I found one under and around the zoa rock in front oof him.

 

[km133688]

do you want him dead or alive. I have removed many worms from my tank although not one of these. I got a "grabbie claw" form a hardware store in town.

This claw device looks like a long metal string coil (not part of the function, just a description), with a button at the top (may be other variations of the trigger mechanism). When the button is pushed in, a little claw wiht four or so fingers comes out of the bottom, when the button is released the claw springs back into the tube. Mechanics and Plumbes use these grabbers to pick up small items down inside tight spaces.

Select your grabber carefully, they are not all equal, even among the same devices. In particular, make certain that the claw will retract completely all the way back into its housing, otherwise you will never catch any worms. Also test the spead of retraction as worms are pretty quick.

Then bait him with some food and when he comes out, maneuver the claw around him and let is close on him quick. Then it is a tug of war between you and the worm. If the worm is really big, he will have lots of grabbing power to hold onto his rocks, so the best approach is not to pull real hard, rather to not let up on the tension. Then when he relaxes to try and move, he slips out a bit more. It can take 1/2 hour to get a real fighter worm out of the tank but hey, that is what makes the sport or worm fishing so man-ly right?

Good luck, Kevin