Looks like little snakes,ID?

[3D-Reef]

Hey!,
The Wife and I were watching TV and all of a sudden the Wife screams "What's that?". So I look and there is these two little snake like (worms?)swimming around.Here is some bad pic's;

Does anyone know if I should keep them or not?

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

what colour are they?

they kinda look like peanut worms...but i have never seen mine swim around...

and if you found two...i am certain you will find more...

 

[3D-Reef]

They were green,about 2.5-3" long.But after posting I looked and they had lost their 'green'.Also they split into about 6 smaller worms.With a magnifing glass the green stuff looks like tiny green eggs and the worms look like beaten up bristle worms.

 

[LeslieH]

That's exactly what they are. These swimmers are polychaetes (or their posterior regions) that become modified as they mature sexually. The modified forms are called epitokes. When fully mature & full of eggs or sperm they swim up into the water to release the gametes. I suspect these particular ones are the epitokous rear portions of small eunicid worms.

 

[keithntracy]

This entire thread gives me the creeps....:eek2: ...lol

 

[3D-Reef]

Very intresting!!Thanks!

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

eunucids are one of the worst worms to find your tank arent they?

 

[acan_guy]

May be a Palolo sp.

 

[LeslieH]

Big eunicids can be bad, small ones usually aren't. Palolo worms are eunicids and are responsible for a big part of the bioerosion that breaks down dead coral on reefs.