hitch hiker sighting-- and she's a monster!

[JasPR]

Hi, got a new invert rock a few months back and all was well-- until this beast started crawling around! I seem to have also lost a colony of Zs that were on the rock he crawled out of. Can anyone ID this guy-- he's BIG, about 6-7 inches long and pretty thick around-- like a simple bristle worm but much bigger and much thicker--

 

[redfishbluefish]

Pictures are pretty fuzzy. Need a picture of it's mouth end.

 

[Dtackett]

when asking for an ID turn off your blue lights and only use white. your camera will take better pictures.

 

[JasPR]

Pictures are pretty fuzzy. Need a picture of it's mouth end.

yes, sorry about the quality--he comes out when the metal halides go off and just the actinic are on-- hard to get a good photo-- the head is very blunt and rounded-- here's another-- like I said, very large ( a major worm!) and the bristles look white or slightly yellow, he's gone to ground now so I'll try and set a proper camera/lens up for tomorrow night. Is this guy likely or possibly a coral/polyp eater?

 

[JasPR]

He touched one of my 20 rose anemone and BOTH the animals jerked back! Business end meets business end!

 

[Dtackett]

if you cannot turn the blues off, add more white right before you take the photo. there are so many types of worms in our tanks that without a good pic we cant be fore sure.

 

[cloak]

Maybe this link will help.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/rs/index.php

 

[steelheader.262]

Was going to guess a Bobbit or Eunice worm but after looking at the link provide it looks similar to Oenone worm.

 

[JasPR]

Maybe this link will help.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/rs/index.php

Thanks, looking at this picture, I think I have a fire worm here? its definietly not the common bristle worm so common in my reef tanks ( pinkish, smallish with well defined and grouped white tuffs). this one is huge, dimensional ( kinda flat than cylindrical) and very heavily tuffed. almost furry like a caterpillar. its back however is bare and kinda segmented. so its looking more like a fire worm. try to get better pictures or trap it ( just made a home made trap out of tupperware.

 

[Pete polyp]

I am thinking fire worm also

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

A fireworm and bristle worm are the same thing. As the article states very common in reef aquaria. There are lots of species as well. Not doubtin you but I spend a lot of time with a powerful magnifying lenses near my tank. That's what they look like. Tufted pokey segmented scary mouth.
Big ones can be a prob because they will bug the corals etc but that's about it. And they compete for food.
I keep the little ones. Big ones usually go.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Love to see a good pic. Use the camera flash.

 

[JasPR]

A fireworm and bristle worm are the same thing. As the article states very common in reef aquaria. There are lots of species as well. Not doubtin you but I spend a lot of time with a powerful magnifying lenses near my tank. That's what they look like. Tufted pokey segmented scary mouth.
Big ones can be a prob because they will bug the corals etc but that's about it. And they compete for food.
I keep the little ones. Big ones usually go.

Good Morning, I really appreciate you taking the time to pipe in! I have been in the hobby since 1978 and was at the first MACNA! so I'm not green in this hobby I also get what you're saying in that the 'names' are interchangeable until you start to apply actual names to them ( latin). I'd like to stress that I know the common bristle worm we all have and see about as often as you see damsels at the retail store! And I've seen usual size bristle worms with their pinkish white bodies and tuffs. And I've seen some impressive specimens in terms of size relative to the typical sized ones. But even with all my years in the hobby and aquariums and collected species too numerous to count, over that time, I have NEVER seen one like this-- I mean an IMPRESSIVE animal and the word 'worm' just seems to not do it! LOLs, its gone 'to ground' since the last sighting ( I've only seen him twice and the suspect live invert rock which came from a wholesaler is four to six months in the tank) I placed two traps in the tank and I will keep alert as the last two sightings were between 8-9 at night. just disturbing that the z's on that purchased rock and now two of my blue mushrooms have disappeared. meanwhile all other mushrooms seem fine. a mystery. when I catch him, I get some good photos and we can maybe ID it at that point. It is kinda cool and also kinda creepy all at the same time-- I'd say about 8-9 inches long and thick around as a large cigar.

 

[Naiad]

Does he look like this guy. Of so it is a coral eating fireworm.

 

[JasPR]

Does he look like this guy. Of so it is a coral eating fireworm.

Thanks so much for taking the time and posting-- YES now we're much closer to what he is than the typical bristle worm-- more substantial and more furry. segmented and noticeably flat and segmented looking - Im sure there are several with this 'look' that range from harmless to bad news. But I'm not too interested in finding out! I need to trap it and remove it next time it shows its head--- or sides or tuffs? will take pictures when I get it out

 

[Naiad]

Yea I don't give any that look like this a chance. This guy was caught eating a zoa so he is for sure bad news.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Bummer he's convicted killer.
Still would love to see good pics.
Maybe when you get him in the trap. And I bet that won't be hard.

 

[JasPR]

I will definitely post pics when I capture him. But this is interesting for those fascinated by the life in our systems--- this morning, a large royal Gramma who has been in the 120 gallon for a couple of years now, emerged from his hole for the morning feeding with a face full of quils like he was hit with a porcupine! I mean his face is covered with those white quils you see on the sides of bristle worms. I'm thinking the fireworm was crawling around his territory ( he defends it against all trespassers) and he got nailed snapping at the worm? Like a hound dog poking at a porcupine.. Interesting. Hope he can shed these spikes in his face and around his eyes

 

[JasPR]

well, that question of will he be able to shed the spikes has been answered-- he's already knock off 50% of the quills around the eyes and nose-- still some left but I assume he'll finish the de-quilling. so I think we can document with this photo that fire worms are not harmless to fish! even if they can't eat them!

 

[Naiad]

OUCH! yea if possible I would try to trap the fish. You may need to give antibiotics to head off infection. Unfortunately that is what happens when you take on more than you can handle. Poor guy. Hopefully he at least learned to leave the worm alone...