Bristleworm ID

[dbati]

Hi everyone!

I have read plenty abo it how bristleworm a are mostly good with the exception of one kind. I don’t think this one is that bad type but I suspect this fella was doing something I’m not too happy about.

I have a cauliflower coral right by where I spotted him today. A couple of days ago the entire coral was in the hole where I spotted this worm. Had it not been for the drag plug sticking out I would’ve been left wondering what happened??

Is this typical behavior? Or maybe there was some mysis stuck to it from a prior feeding?

 

[cdw79]

Bobbit worms are the very bad type you're referring to. They aren't very common unless you're getting live rock, but also not impossible to still turn up.Honestly I'm not 100% positive that it's not one- I'd try and google some pictures to see. The front / head is usually distinct from the average bristle worm so I'd start there, just a little had to see imo. Is you cauliflower coral still alive? How big is this guy?

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Looks like some sort of eunice worm. It could be a hobbit worm, or it could be just some other worm. Either way, I would trap it out, try to catch it with forceps, or burn the house down.

 

[cdw79]

Yeah personally I don't care how good a clean up crew they *might* be, if I see any of those worms they shall die

 

[Gtinnel]

That is not the good or bad type of bristleworm. As stated above it’s a some kind of Eunice and I would definitely remove it if I were you.

 

[dbati]

That is not the good or bad type of bristleworm. As stated above it’s a some kind of Eunice and I would definitely remove it if I were you.

So I’m thinking about taking the rock out. I noticed this little tunnel/bridge looking thing. Do you think he’s built a safe passage between rocks?

 

[dbati]

Update: gotem

 

[homer1475]

Looks more like sponge.

These types of worms don't build anything other then tunnels in the sand.

 

[dbati]

Also, for the record I didn’t chop him up. He 100% ejected his lower body twice whilst I just held the rock up in the air over a cooler I was working with.