Well, it seems that I have a knack for collecting less common hitchhikers in my reef. The latest is this strange worm that I can’t quite get an ID on. Hopefully some details and pictures can help y’all help me. 
There are actually at least four in the tank, as I have spotted them in different places simultaneously. Here are the descriptions:
- LONG. At least two of them are 6-8” and possibly longer, as they leave part of their body in the rock.
- SKINNY. In one of the pictures, you’ll see a worm next to pieces of chaeto. They are just barely thicker than the chaeto.
- FAST. I tried to catch one last night. By the time the tongs closed together, the worm has retracted 3” of its body through the tongs and back into the rock work.
- NOCTURNAL. They only come out at night. Direct light causes them to retract immediately. If I use just the edges of the beam from a flashlight, they don’t seem to notice - as shown in the pictures below.
- RIBBED. The worm seems to have small, ribbed sections, with tiny appendages at each section. The appendages are short and barely noticeable in the pics.
Here are some possible symptoms:
- DEAD SNAILS. I have had some snail deaths, and the shells do seem to be concentrated in an area where there are two worms living. However, they are just on the sandbed and not pulled close to the rock. I have not found any “tunnels” or snails covered in any kind of mucus. The still have many living snails, so they are not exactly being eradicated.
- CORAL DEATHS. I’ve read that some of the Oenonid worms eat coral. I’ve recently had two monti caps taken out, and witnessed one of the worms crawling around the still living remnants of the pieces I pulled out. I have checked religiously for monti nudibranchs - there aren’t any. In one of the picture below, you’ll see one of the worms living under a monti frag on a rack. Next to that monti is a Starburst monti frag, which after having seen the worm next to it, is having reduced PE. It has not lost flesh as of yet. Again, the piece is on a rack and can be viewed from all angles - there are not any nudis on it.
That’s about it! Hopefully someone can chime in an help with an ID. Thanks guys and gals!
There are actually at least four in the tank, as I have spotted them in different places simultaneously. Here are the descriptions:
- LONG. At least two of them are 6-8” and possibly longer, as they leave part of their body in the rock.
- SKINNY. In one of the pictures, you’ll see a worm next to pieces of chaeto. They are just barely thicker than the chaeto.
- FAST. I tried to catch one last night. By the time the tongs closed together, the worm has retracted 3” of its body through the tongs and back into the rock work.
- NOCTURNAL. They only come out at night. Direct light causes them to retract immediately. If I use just the edges of the beam from a flashlight, they don’t seem to notice - as shown in the pictures below.
- RIBBED. The worm seems to have small, ribbed sections, with tiny appendages at each section. The appendages are short and barely noticeable in the pics.
Here are some possible symptoms:
- DEAD SNAILS. I have had some snail deaths, and the shells do seem to be concentrated in an area where there are two worms living. However, they are just on the sandbed and not pulled close to the rock. I have not found any “tunnels” or snails covered in any kind of mucus. The still have many living snails, so they are not exactly being eradicated.
- CORAL DEATHS. I’ve read that some of the Oenonid worms eat coral. I’ve recently had two monti caps taken out, and witnessed one of the worms crawling around the still living remnants of the pieces I pulled out. I have checked religiously for monti nudibranchs - there aren’t any. In one of the picture below, you’ll see one of the worms living under a monti frag on a rack. Next to that monti is a Starburst monti frag, which after having seen the worm next to it, is having reduced PE. It has not lost flesh as of yet. Again, the piece is on a rack and can be viewed from all angles - there are not any nudis on it.
That’s about it! Hopefully someone can chime in an help with an ID. Thanks guys and gals!
