Help ID Worm Creature. Is he Reef Safe

chrislorentz

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#2
That is a bristle worm he is safe and good to have them in balance
 

blake41

Cleaner Shrimp
#3
He looks much bigger and a different color than my other bristle's and he's about 8 inches long when he comes all the way out. All the pictures are of him retracting when I turn on the light to photograph him.
 

chrislorentz

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#4
Bristle worms can vary in color and they can get up to at least 24" if not larger.
 

chrislorentz

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#5
If I had one that was 8" I would proabbly try to remove him as he is getting to that possible dangerous size
 

MartinsReef

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#6
chrislorentz;99212 said:
That is a bristle worm he is safe and good to have them in balance
+1 it look like a bristle worm. They can get big ie "long"

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
 

chrislorentz

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#8
there are comercial traps you can buy for 8 or 9 dollars I think or steal you wife/GF pantyhose put a shrimp in it and wad them up and put it in the tank, the worms go after shrimp and then cant get out
 

Wicked Color

Tiger Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#9
Its not a bristle worm, its a eunicid worm.
ie; elephant worm, predatory polychaete, very sensitive and reclusive these worms can get much larger than a bristle worm, and have been known to pick at corals.
The biggest indicator is the 4 larger/longer whiskers in the front.
 

chrislorentz

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#10
Those whiskers are not attached to him ( I dont think) I think those are just in the background of the first picture
 

Wicked Color

Tiger Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#15
Some salt water will stay in the rock, and the worm will likely live through it unless the rock is left for some time, killing everything else, thus re-curing will be needed.
 

Wicked Color

Tiger Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#17
The worm will probably withdraw to a place in the rock that it cannot be seen or reached, just walking through the room is enough vibration for the worm to be scared, they are very sensitive.
Typicly they are detritivore/scavengers, but can pick at corals, or even hunt small fish at night when they get big. I have lost a scolly and a cynarina before I found one of these in the rock behind where they sat.
 

chrislorentz

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#20
Good call Aaron
 
Top