Is This a Fireworm?

[USMarine1171]

This thing is about 5 inches long and keeps going in and out of the piece of rock my xenia is attached to. It hitch hiked with the rock.

 

[kjbudsberg]

yep.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

It looks like your common bristleworm; the polychaete Eurythoe complanata. Or at least a Eurythoe species. It could be a variety of other Polychaetes, but it would take some detailed pictures to find out. I highly doubt that it is any sort of predator such as Oenone fulgida, though they look rather similar at first glance.

FWIW, here is the Bearded Fireworm (Hermodice carunculata) which is often refered to as just a "Fireworm"

 

[skeeter-doc]

yes, marine, what you have there is more commonly known as a bristleworm

just a lowly scavenger that helps to keep your tank clean

 

[pjhaddock]

Here is one I pulled out of my tank once, I posted it here on RC and the conclusion was that it was very doubtful that it was a fireworm. I took him out anyways!! I have seen a few more in my tank that are similar, but nowhere near as brightly red and white as this one was....

 

[LeslieH]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8043635#post8043635 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pjhaddock
Here is one I pulled out of my tank once, I posted it here on RC and the conclusion was that it was very doubtful that it was a fireworm. I took him out anyways!! I have seen a few more in my tank that are similar, but nowhere near as brightly red and white as this one was....

Doubtful???? :lol: You were wise to pull it. It was Hermodice carunculata, the one fireworm that's known to eat corals!

Marine's worm does belong to the family Amphinomidae which includes fireworms. It could be Eurythoe or belong to another genus - the picture simply isn't good enough to tell. But at least it's not Hermodice and is relatively harmless.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Agreed, LeslieH

I'm glad you pulled it out, too, pjhaddock

 

[USMarine1171]

Thanks for the info gents. Sorry about the picture quality. That's the best my camera can do, short of submerging it:eek2: . It is red for about the first inch you can see, then the rest of it is a blue color. The sides of it has white "legs." It reminds me of a millipede and personally I don't find it very aesthetic. But as long as it is harmless I guess I'll have to get over it.

 

[Sk8r]

Marine, that's pretty characteristic of a bristleworm, prettiest thing you'll ever see if you find a fat mega snail dead under the rockwork. Clean as a whistle by morning.

 

[USMarine1171]

That little worm will eat a whole xl snail overnight?

dang

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8045617#post8045617 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by USMarine1171
That little worm will eat a whole xl snail overnight?

dang

A dead snail.

 

[j_gilbert]

bristleworm