Unidentified Hitchhiker

[aukerda]

So my live rock is all in, my refugium is stocked with chaeto I stole from a MASC member. Yesterday my wife spotted an "unidentified creature of the deep." It came out of the rock work in full light. Bright red in color ("Like a cleaner shrimp") with white spines. Total length of about a quarter of an inch. Fairly fast moving. It came out, then went in then reappeared later. I haven't seen it, but my wife did snap a pic with her cell.

I know it's not the best pic so I digitally enhanced it

My first suspects are fireworm or eucinid . I showed a pic of both to my wife, and she said no. Any other ideas?

 

[Jagermeister]

Looks like a bristleworm.

 

[rehnberg]

I think it is a bristle worm.

 

[aukerda]

Do bristle worms normally carry shotguns and hand grenades?


Thanks for the help guys! So bristle worms used to be bad, now they seem to be good or bad depending on your point of view. Should I be in a panic and start dosing with diesel fuel (I keed!) to get rid of them? How do I control them if I want to? My wife is under strict instructions to try to siphon him out the next time he's spotted and placed in a sealed container for further examination and genetic experimentation.

 

[stugray]

They are fine.

I would get worried if I DIDNT see any in my tank.

Stu

 

[coralreef321]

They are fine.

I would get worried if I DIDNT see any in my tank.

Stu

+1 on that.

 

[jreeceaspen]

They are fine, but if they get big and nasty and the size of your fish your overfeeding. If you overfeed you will see a large population. You should only see a few here and there. Also, arrow crabs eat them like gummy worms if they get over populated.

 

[Zooid]

I love them as detrivores but be careful using bare hands in the tank. If you touch them you'll get those bristles planted in your fingers.

 

[aukerda]

I was goofing off with the camera's macro settings for the first time and just happened to catch a couple of unknowns....

The one on the right, perhaps the leg of a brittle star? The one on the left, the alleged bristle worm.

 

[gjm258]

it's a bristle worm and a mini brittle star. there is no "alleged" about it.

 

[spleify]

Yes, bristle worm and mini brittle star. Both very good additions to the tank!