Orange Worm????

[lukekempf]

At night I sometimes see an orange worm feeding on a dead snail. It looks like a centipede, but moves very fast. What is it (fireworm?) and is it good or bad.

 

[greenbean36191]

Sounds like you might have Oenone. It's a predatory worm that's notorious for wiping out snails. I'm not sure how you go about catching it though.

 

[LeslieH]

Snails and clams, including Tridacna, are the preferred food items. Oenone will prey on other animals or perhaps eat detritus if there are no molluscs around. Other reefers have reported that it normally stretches out from its burrow so the hind part is always inside. This enables it to rapidly retract when menaced by a predator or an angry tank owner.