What is this?! Worm?!

[hurley009]

So I caught this today... what is this??
Keep or discard?

 

[TangingOut]

Common bristle worm. Very good detrivore and CUC member.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Common bristle worm. Very good detrivore and CUC member.

Yes, highly beneficial.

 

[chimmike]

discard. When they get that big they and they're hungry they can possibly take out fish.

 

[dragonsong]

The big ones freak me out so I remove them, the little ones are good at cleaning up detritus though.

 

[Sk8r]

Put him back in. They have only a soda-straw of a mouth and no jaws. They slurp up decaying gunk and clean inside rock crevices other things can't reach. I'm trying to get more of these guys this week---all mine died off in the cold during a power-out.

 

[hurley009]

My concern is that it's eaten a few of my zoos. I noticed this guy come out once and luckily he was out today and I caught him. I've noticed a considerable amount of coral damage since seeing this guy. Possibility?

 

[CThomas1026]

I would discard personally. Especially if you saw it munching on zoos.

 

[pyithar]

i don't think bristle worms will eat healthy corals. maybe the coral is already damaged by other things? just my .02.

 

[Sk8r]

They can't. If they are slurping stuff off a coral, they're actually helping it by removing bad stuff. I've had them actually save a fragile coral that had gotten injured.

 

[TangingOut]

I wish I had more bristle worms.

 

[nemodude]

I wouldn't touch it with your fingers either. those bristles come off in your skin almost like fiberglass and release a mild but very annoying venom into your skin

 

[shyerdj]

bristle worm! thats a keeper!

 

[hurley009]

Thank you everyone for your feed back everyone. I found another the same size so I guess that's a good thing lol