Eunic worm (I think) questions

[ScooterV]

I've had two of what I believe are some type of eunice worms in my tank. From all I can find it doesn't mean it's a predatory worm automatically without more specific identification. However, they do have five feelers/tentacles. They haven't fallen for any traps and refuse to leave their holes in the rock. I only catch a bunch of other worms. No indication they have harmed anything yet, but during my recent fallow period and keeping critters fed we frequently saw them come out and fight a large cleaner shrimp for a piece of an algae wafer. It was like a tug of war game and I wish we had a video

Anyway, I discovered that they snap back into their hole fast, but seem to be extremely curious. I used one of the plastic pincher tongs and it ran fast. I mostly closed the jaws and waited. It came back out slowly, investigating, even tapping on the tongs. Oddly, I could even feel the vibration when it tapped on the other end. When it was far enough I closed the jaws and had it. While trying to slowly pull it from the rock it broke.

I have the head though. Am I safe in assuming that even it may be able to regrow the body that with the head in hand it's a goner?

Sorry for the long winded version when the question boils down to: As long as I got the head, was the guillotine likely effective?

 

[3mm3]

Unfortunately it will regenerate. Must remove the entire worm. Pictures?
Having personally played the tug of warm game with one of these worms and my poor fish as the rope I can say they creep me out..

 

[Crabs McJones]

As stated above itll grow back. If you're able to snap a picture itd be best. But it's most likely a bobbit based off your description.

 

[ScooterV]

Well, that's a bummer When it regrows, or the other one shows itself, I'll try my best to get some pics. I also knew they could regrow the body, but had a hope they couldn't regrow a head

Is there any odds of a coral banded shrimp tangling with them?

I've also tried super gluing their hole shut, but with porus rock it has been pointless. Much of my rock is cemented in place, but by luck the two pieces the two known worms are in can be removed, so I think they will be coming out. I haven't seen the 2nd one since returning from vacation though, so it may have moved I had some cirolanid isopods many years ago and those were creepy too. Had to catch my tomato clown every morning to pick them off until I gave up and started a new tank, but it was a small tank

Thanks for the input! This place is always fast with helpful replies!!

 

[3mm3]

Well, that's a bummer When it regrows, or the other one shows itself, I'll try my best to get some pics. I also knew they could regrow the body, but had a hope they couldn't regrow a head

Is there any odds of a coral banded shrimp tangling with them?

I've also tried super gluing their hole shut, but with porus rock it has been pointless. Much of my rock is cemented in place, but by luck the two pieces the two known worms are in can be removed, so I think they will be coming out. I haven't seen the 2nd one since returning from vacation though, so it may have moved I had some cirolanid isopods many years ago and those were creepy too. Had to catch my tomato clown every morning to pick them off until I gave up and started a new tank, but it was a small tank

Thanks for the input! This place is always fast with helpful replies!!

My coral banded shrimp never went near it. Not saying they wont but mine sure didn't. My old skunk cleaner though was a pure assassin and I wouldn't put it past him.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I know coral banded shrimp sometimes go after bristle worms, not sure on other types.

 

[Flippers4pups]

In my very first system I got one in some live rock. Tried everything to get it out. Was munching on coral at night. Nothing worked. Red light at night reveled what rock it was in. Tore apart the rock work to get that rock out and pulled it out after poring hot water on it's hole.

Major pain, but that's what I ended up having to do.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I know coral banded shrimp sometimes go after bristle worms, not sure on other types.

If they are big enough, they will take down fish, shrimp, crabs, coral...... anything to feed their appetite. They are efficient hurter's and will kill anything they can.

 

[KJ]

Picture ?
https://www.google.com/search?q=Eun...ved=0ahUKEwiAt9ja3PncAhUmT98KHfMaA-UQ_AUICygC

 

[ScooterV]

KJ, thanks! Other than looking through many pictures myself it didn't cross my mind to at least find an example. Closest match I see would be:

https://www.robertharding.com/previ...-galicia-spain-bristle-worm-eunice-norvegica/

I only see four tentacles on that though, ours has five for sure. Otherwise looks similar.

However, it had to have come from TBS rock which wouldn't be Eastern Atlantic, but at least connected by water, lol. They also need to go either way, I just hope it's only the two we have seen and they are still in the same rock when last seen. I just tossed in some extra food since they seem to sense it, but no sign of the second one. Pulling that rock and putting it in another tank for now regardless. In the meantime, my wife is on "I told you it was a bobbit! Get it out!!", lol

 

[cracker]

I thought a bobbit worm was fairly stationary & not prone to coming out of it's burrow. Is this the case?

 

[ScooterV]

I'm not sure myself, but 5 tentacles is enough for me to at the least want them out. However, they (ones I have) don't leave their burrow either. They will stretch out, fight with a shrimp over food, look around, but refuse to leave their hole. They also grab bits of sand and pull it back in and seem to make a slim/sand cover for their cave. I had forgotten that part, so if lucky it will rule out the worst of the options, lol. I just moved three rocks into an empty but running QT tank for now. The last rocks we saw them in/on anyway. Will go from there. Wife insists there is at least one more in another rock I can remove, but it's too big to fit in a little QT so will just watch for a bit

Starfish can regrow arms, worms can obviously regrow a body, but a big YUCK to inventing a predator that can regrow a head!!

 

[ScooterV]

They are in a QT tank, but have gotten two worms out of the rock I moved. With trying to grab them with pinchers we actually have a little hoard of moving parts, but it was two to start, lol. Here's the best pics I managed.

 

[reef lover]

White band behind the head?? Def a bobbit...

 

[ScooterV]

White band behind the head?? Def a bobbit...

You were supposed to say "It's a unice, but a harmless sort"

Thanks for the input, and glad I got two of them out so far!!

 

[reef lover]

Sorry...maybe im wrong...for your sake...;Nailbiting

 

[Bob Loblaw]

All Bobbits are a Eunicid but not all Eunicids are Bobbits...

I pulled out this beauty while breaking down my 90. It had to have been in the tank for at least 7 years and was pushing 18-24" when picked it up with a stick. Curious as to what it had been eating, as I had no fish or decorative inverts disappear, I kept it alive in a bucket and offered it random things to eat. It seemed to be deathly afraid of the Damsel. It ignored hermits, bristleworms, a zoa/discosoma rock, and snails but it did eat all of the frozen foods I offered. My little experiment by no means swayed me to keep it but reassured me that not all Eunicids are deathtraps like the Eunice aphroditois aka The Bobbit. I'd remove every one you manage to catch but wouldn't be overly concerned until I had reason to be--- things disappearing for no reason.

 

[kirstyflash]

I know coral banded shrimp sometimes go after bristle worms, not sure on other types.

I spotted my coral banded shrimp playing tug of war with something in a rock. He ripped out half a bristle worm and chowed down.

 

[ScooterV]

I spotted my coral banded shrimp playing tug of war with something in a rock. He ripped out half a bristle worm and chowed down.

Yeah, that's sort of what I was hoping to hear but for this instead of just a bristleworm I also had a CBS and saw it with a worm already mostly inside it, and his pinchers holding the rest and he just slowly pulled it from the rock as he ate. IF they would eat these as well I'd risk my cleaner shrimp and add a CBS, at least for awhile and then trade it. My cleaners are pretty large and the tank is also large so it could work out ok anyway.

 

[KJ]

They are in a QT tank, but have gotten two worms out of the rock I moved. With trying to grab them with pinchers we actually have a little hoard of moving parts, but it was two to start, lol. Here's the best pics I managed.

Leodice torquata?