Peanut Worms (Sipunculans)

[BeakerBob]

Here's a couple of pics of my peanut worm (no jokes please :crossedlips. This guy has captured my attention for several months now. He lives in a rock that faces the front of my fuge and comes out to eat when I feed the tank. It's amazing how far he can stretch out from that small hole. Apparently, this worm appendage is introverted...it's like a glove finger that is folded inside of itself. As it stretches out of its hole, it extrudes outward (extroverts) and at the end are the feeding tentacles. It grabs the food in the tentacles and inverts back onto itself while withdrawing back into its hole.

Here he is in his hole (inverted mode):

He's coming out now, extruding his body:

Feeders are extended:

He is waving around trying to get food into his tentacles:

Still trying to more food into the tentacles before retracting:

His feeding tentacles are now retracting as he pulls back towards his hole:

 

[matty0206]

I had one just like that in my first saltwater tank. He lived for a couple of years. He got to the point where he had no fear either and would come out when I fed the tank. Very interesting critters and very nice pics.

 

[Russellaqua]

Great pics. I've never had one (that I know of at least), but I've seen them before. Never knew how they fed though. That's a cool progression of shots you've got there. Thanks for sharing.

 

[dsmhero]

Very neat, I have never seen one of these before.

 

[KSzegi]

Great pics!!

 

[bige]

Those are great pics. I have one. Fun to watch.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Bob those are great shots!

 

[Joshmogo13]

I just found one yesterday in my tank, seems pretty harmless. Anything you know that i should be watching out for on this little guy?

Great Shots BTW!

 

[souciemm]

Great pictures! I found one last night and had a very difficult time taking pictures. As soon as a light came on he would retract.