Worm ID Pweeze! Pics!!!!

[anentwich]

This guy is approx. 8 or 9". I have never seen the entire worm because he is pretty timid and retracts back within the liverock on which he hitchhiked his way into my aquarium. I just looked in my tank one day, and this massive (frankly, a little scary looking) worm was crawling around. Could someone tell me if this guy is good or bad for my tank, and possibly what kind of worm this is? Thanks.

I apologize for the blurry pic, but the more vivid pic hopefully will help.

<a href="http://s600.photobucket.com/albums/tt89/anentwich/?action=view&current=DSCN0966.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt89/anentwich/DSCN0966.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s600.photobucket.com/albums/tt89/anentwich/?action=view&current=DSCN0965.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt89/anentwich/DSCN0965.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[Elysia]

Head shots of worms are usually the most helpful.

 

[anentwich]

OK. Thanks for the feedback. I will see if I can get a picture of his head next time he's out.

 

[forrealb50]

Looks like a fireworm to me. Reef safe as long as they don't get huge 12+ inches. If it does get that big put a trap in the tank and give it away. I have a few that I have seen in my reef that are 3-4+" and haven't bothered anything.

 

[fkbsar]

Could be a bristle worm. Kinda fat from scavenging.

 

[LeslieH]

No, it's not a fireworm but I'm not sure what it is. I've never seen that combination of appendages & colors so I'm really hoping you can get a picture of the head.

 

[anentwich]

I'm still working on getting a picture of his head. It's difficult because he rarely comes out of the rock in which he lives. If they get big enough, are worms likely to eat some of my CUC invertebrates or possibly corals and feather dusters?

Thanks.

 

[mscarpena]

It all depends on what type of worm it is. Some are harmless and some can cost you a lot of money and heart ache.

 

[AJSTITAN14]

My money is on Eunicid. These parapodia look more like the ones on my Eunice worm than the tufts on common bristle worms. But as has been mentioned we need to see the head. If it's not familiar to Leslie then it's rather unusual at least.

 

[LeslieH]

In the five years I've been reviewing id requests this is the first time I've seen this. I also suspect it's an eunicid but as it's the middle of the worm I don't want to commit without an image of the head.

 

[anentwich]

More pics. I apologize for the blurriness. He/she's really hard to sneak up on, let alone get a clear picture of. Let me know if these are not clear enough and I'll try again.

<a href="http://s600.photobucket.com/albums/tt89/anentwich/?action=view&current=DSCN0969.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt89/anentwich/DSCN0969.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s600.photobucket.com/albums/tt89/anentwich/?action=view&current=DSCN0968.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i600.photobucket.com/albums/tt89/anentwich/DSCN0968.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[LeslieH]

Clear enough, thanks! Definitely an eunicid. Have you had any problems with missing or damaged livestock? Food preferences vary between species and between individuals so it's hard to predict if it's going to cause you problems or not.

 

[anentwich]

LeslieH,

Thank you for identifying the worm for me. There was an upturned turbo snail near the opening of its home, but it was on its last leg before I found its shell empty there...so I doubt that it killed it, but it may have eaten it. I have a lot of hair algae (phosphate issues) and it seems to graze on that when its out, but I am not missing any livestock besides that one turbo.

What has it been known to eat? I don't mind losing a couple snails (though that wouldn't be fun), but I would be concerned if it started eating sandsifting gobies, feather dusters, or my nassarius snails.

Thanks again for your help!

 

[LeslieH]

There's over a hundred species of Eunice. Food preferences aren't known in detail for any species except for large adults of the true bobbit worm, Eunice aphroditois, which catch fish. DON"T PANIC - that one lives in rocky/muck bottoms & DOES NOT occur in live rock harvested for tanks. ) Some reefers have seen their large eunicids feeding on snails, dead animals, corals, sponges, etc. Others have had large eunicids that only eat algae & detritus. Smaller specimens have different food preferences than the large ones. So like I said, it's really hard to predict what any particular one will do.

 

[anentwich]

Is there a chance that the eunicid will outgrow the tank? How large do they get? Or, is it difficult to give a definite answer because of the number of species?

Again, thank you for your help.

Andy