worm help

[JPSKI25]

I have a few (3-4) of that these in my tank come out after lights out. They are about an inch long, thin as a paperclip, a grayish bluish color, and attach themselves to a rock or my zoas and kinda lunge out at particles in the water column. They extend in and out like a finger bending. When they move from place to place they go end over end like a slinky. They have been in my tank for months with no incident but last night I noticed one had moved from a colony of zoas onto the center of my naked clowns head. Poor fish was kinda freakin out trying to get it off. I tried to net him but he kept hiding in the rocks. Well needless to say I found him dead today and my female naked seems bummed out. What are these worms and are they dangerous to fish or did he just stress himself to death? There didn't appear to be any holes or bite marks on him or any marks at all. I don't want to kill anything that might be benificial I don't really like killing anything its bad for karma) but I don't want to lose anymore fish. I can't get a pic of them do to their small size and anytime light hits them they ball up.

Thanks in advance for any help,
Johnny P

 

[madadi]

anything that can attach to a fish is not good in my book.

 

[doubled50]

Sounds like he stressed himself out to me?

 

[JPSKI25]

Finally got some pics!! any ideas?????

 

[Pufferpunk]

Is that a branching lobo you have there?

 

[JPSKI25]

The coral??? Money green candy cane coral

 

[rcgogo]

I don't know what type of worms that is but better to be safe than sorry. I would get a 6 line wrasse or bi-color Pseudochromis to make those worms disappear. My Pseudochromis and clowns get along and bristle worms have never been a problem since getting it. It will eat any shrimp you have though.