Photo of an actual Fireworm

[Sk8r]

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=image&pic=16717

 

[MelloW33]

Mean little suckers!

 

[LeslieH]

Hi Sk8r - Posting a pic is a good idea but unfortunately that's not the best image. The head is contracted so the large sensory organ on the head which easily distinguishes it from other fireworm species is not visible. Maybe another one?

 

[eweinig]

Any idea of the size of that thing?

 

[TropicalReefer]

Id like to see one around the size of one I would see in an average aquarium. This thing is massive!

 

[superman0440]

are they harmful

 

[Sk8r]

I wish I could find a better picture. Edit: Ha! I think I've got it. Thank you, LeslieH: once I knew what feature to look for, I could find it.

Yes, superman0440, these are not good guys. They, and the tentacled Eunicid (tentacles on head) are not friendlies.

 

[JMcAz7]

Don't forget about Fulgida worms too, they're pure evil incarnate.

Want to see a $90 clam disappear in 4 hours? There you go.

The scourge of my existence.

 

[AJSTITAN14]

Here is a link to a google image search for Hermodice Carunculata aka Fireworm.

http://www.google.com/search?q=herm...&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1920&bih=853

 

[Matthew91]

ugh hate those. I had to dry out my 30lb live rock because of this worm. I was full of life

 

[Netofficer3710]

eunicids aren't much fun either, decimated one of my zoa colonies.

 

[colesreef]

last night while feeding my corals after lights out, I gave a small piece of silverside to my shrimp just to keep him busy..a few mins later, I saw a bristleworm sticking out of a rock about 5 inches having a tug of war with the shrimp over the food. the body of the worm was equal tothat of the shrimp and part of him was still in the rock..it was the biggest worm that I have seen yet and it was fun to watch..btw, the shrimo won

 

[chwimmers215]

What is the difference between a bristleworm and a fire worm????

 

[hillbillybjopkr]

i have a 1 foot plus bristle worm i have been relentlessly tryin to catch....amazing how somethin so big could be so hard to catch.....have made traps and still haven't gotten him....have only seen him once......hopein beyond hope my pistol shrimp nailed him...untill i know for sure i'm still on the hunt lol

 

[PRI]

To the best of my knowledge this is a fireworm, or at least one variety. Came in on small piece of rock with a caulastrea furcata coral (aka kryptonite candy cane). The coral wasn't doing well in QT, lost a few heads but no evidence of brown jelly disease. I lifted the frag rock up and found these buggers. The coral recovered nicely once I remounted what was left on a couple frag discs.

 

[blynch002]

Thank God for this thread! I now know what that creepy crawly was sticking out of my rock the other night. How bad are they for a tank? I haven't noticed any issues with my coral but I have had a few blue green cromis die mysteriously.

 

[squishifishi]

PRI, those look like regular common bristleworms to me...at least the long one on the left does.

 

[Polina Rodionov]

To the best of my knowledge this is a fireworm, or at least one variety. Came in on small piece of rock with a caulastrea furcata coral (aka kryptonite candy cane). The coral wasn't doing well in QT, lost a few heads but no evidence of brown jelly disease. I lifted the frag rock up and found these buggers. The coral recovered nicely once I remounted what was left on a couple frag discs.

Worms on the photo did not eat healthy corals. They are scavengers. Good worms.
They are not Hermodice carunculata.

 

[SOCOMMike]

Just looking at the pictures gives me the heebie geebies!

 

[redondoreefer]

Yikes!