Found this yellow and orange worm! What is it?

Schulks · May 25, 2024

it stretches out to about 3 inches and arrived on gulf live rock.

taytay_1119 · May 25, 2024

Phyllodoce lamelligrea? I’d take it outta the tank.

ISpeakForTheSeas · May 25, 2024

Yeah, definitely a Phyllodocid, probably a Phyllodoce species - they tend to be carrion-feeders, but they may go for worms as well as dying snails, dying clams, or other moribund livestock.

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
Some Phyllodoce spp. are harmless detritivores (CUC), but others are thought to be carnivorous - typically preying on other worms or snails from what I've seen.

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
Pages 228-232 of the link below discusses the known feeding habits of various Phyllodocidae species, including a few Phyllodoce spp. - generally, it seems these guys would probably be safe for fish and inverts except for snails and other worms (tube building worms specifically). For the sake of not needing to replace CUC, I'd probably say to pull it as a precaution, especially since you've already seen one interacting with a snail.

Diet of Worms Emended: An Update of Polychaete Feeding Guilds

Diet of Worms Emended: An Update of Polychaete Feeding Guilds

www.academia.edu

Townes_Van_Camp · May 25, 2024

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
Yeah, definitely a Phyllodocid, probably a Phyllodoce species - they tend to be carrion-feeders, but they may go for worms as well as dying snails, dying clams, or other moribund livestock.

That doesn't sound all bad.

ISpeakForTheSeas · May 25, 2024

Townes_Van_Camp said:
That doesn't sound all bad.

Yeah, they might go for small things like pods and dying things, but otherwise, they should basically just be CUC like regular bristleworms.

BigUgliesNY · Jul 11, 2024

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
Yeah, definitely a Phyllodocid, probably a Phyllodoce species - they tend to be carrion-feeders, but they may go for worms as well as dying snails, dying clams, or other moribund livestock.

can you please tell me what I'm dealing with here? Thank you