Atlantic Palolo Worm?

[zdrc]

I think an atlantic palolo worm (Eunice fucata) came in on my KP aquatics rock. I don't have a photo or video right now, but I'll try to get one in a bit. I'm pretty sure it's a palolo. It's about the size of a bristle worm, but it has zebra tentacles on it's head, an obvious eye, and cricket-like head-shape and mouth. There's really not a lot of information about them online (apart from the fact that they make great tarpon bait). There's significantly more information about the pacific palolo (Eunice viridis). What I have read about them seems to indicate that they are 10-20 cm and only algae eaters? I can pull it out, but I don't want to if it's just going to eat algae. Does anyone have more information on these guys?

 

[blaxsun]

From what (limited) information I could find, these may be predatory once they become large (up to 40cm!) I'm sure one of the resident worm experts can weigh-in, but anything that has teeth and gets to be almost a half meter in length doesn't exactly sound reef-safe...

 

[zdrc]

From what (limited) information I could find, these may be predatory once they become large (up to 40cm!) I'm sure one of the resident worm experts can weigh-in, but anything that has teeth and gets to be almost a half meter in length doesn't exactly sound reef-safe...

Do you have a source for the 40cm length? I found a few old scientific papers on Eunice furcata and they all suggested a max size of 10-20cm. 20 cm is still really dang long though. This is a 12 gallon tank.

Good point about the size. If they get 40cm long I imagine they would just eat anything they can fit in their mouth.

 

[blaxsun]

Do you have a source for the 40cm length? I found a few old scientific papers on Eunice furcata and they all suggested a max size of 10-20cm. 20 cm is still really dang long though. This is a 12 gallon tank.

Good point about the size. If they get 40cm long I imagine they would just eat anything they can fit in their mouth.

If we're talking about the same worm (which I'm going off based on your assessment), yes - they can get to 40cm in length. For a 12-gallon tank, yeah - I'd re-home it.

Palolo worm | Polychaete, Marine Species, Reproduction | Britannica

Palolo worm, any of various segmented marine worms of the families Eunicidae and Nereidae (class Polychaeta, phylum Annelida). The palolo worm exhibits unique breeding behaviour: during the breeding season, always at the same time of year and at a particular phase of the Moon, the worms break in

www.britannica.com