Unknown Worm

[CloudReefer]

Hi all, pretty sure I recall this being a worm, but I'm not 100%. It appears to be some kind of Spionid. It's got two of those filaments that must be 10cm long each and it "fishes" with 'em.

It is in my sump and I'm wondering if it is able to catch pods or is otherwise harmful. Mostly I expect it just grabs detritus and whatever from the water but you never know...

Thanks!

 

[fishguy242]

hi, guessing spaghetti worm ? pic under white light will help, is it brownish orange ?

 

[CloudReefer]

hi, guessing spaghetti worm ? pic under white light will help, is it brownish orange ?

Yeah thinking the same. The worm itself, at best I can tell, is brownish. The tentacles are white.

Another pic

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Yeah thinking the same. The worm itself, at best I can tell, is brownish. The tentacles are white.

Another pic

Looking at this pic here, I'd think this is a benthic ctenophore (comb jelly) species (the branching tentacles - called tentillia - coming off of the main tentacles are not something you'd see on a worm's palps).

 

[CloudReefer]

Looking at this pic here, I'd think this is a benthic ctenophore (comb jelly) species (the branching tentacles - called tentillia - coming off of the main tentacles are not something you'd see on a worm's palps).

I looked those up and that's definitely what they are. I've seen seem them on a documentary at some point in my life. Everything says they are predatory, so I'm guessing they are eating my pods in my sump. I value biodiversity, but there are limits.

Keep or remove do you think?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I looked those up and that's definitely what they are. I've seen seem them on a documentary at some point in my life. Everything says they are predatory, so I'm guessing they are eating my pods in my sump. I value biodiversity, but there are limits.

Keep or remove do you think?

To my knowledge, unless you get a really big species, they're not really harmful; but yes, they are most likely eating the pods in the sump.

Personally, I like oddities like this, so I'd be tempted to keep it. That said, most people would probably suggest getting rid of it, and that's probably the smarter option in this case.

 

[CloudReefer]

To my knowledge, unless you get a really big species, they're not really harmful; but yes, they are most likely eating the pods in the sump.

Personally, I like oddities like this, so I'd be tempted to keep it. That said, most people would probably suggest getting rid of it, and that's probably the smarter option in this case.

I'm with you on the oddities! I am not so concerned with the 1 or 2 that are in there now, but I know they can multiply quickly and I feel like a couple dozen of them could wipe out the pods down there. So yeah, maybe removal is the best bet.

 

[CloudReefer]

So I apparently have several colonies of these guys growing in my sump. Two types. 2 or 3 more of the ones I posted pics of here, and a whole bunch with shorter, fuzzy tentacles. I even have some that have attached to my chaeto.

Are these guys like aiptasia, in that if I try to remove them and there are a few fragments left, it can explode even further in population?

I wouldn't care so much but they do seem to be affecting my pod population.

Hmm maybe I need a new post in a different section...

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

So I apparently have several colonies of these guys growing in my sump. Two types. 2 or 3 more of the ones I posted pics of here, and a whole bunch with shorter, fuzzy tentacles. I even have some that have attached to my chaeto.

Are these guys like aiptasia, in that if I try to remove them and there are a few fragments left, it can explode even further in population?

I wouldn't care so much but they do seem to be affecting my pod population.

Hmm maybe I need a new post in a different section...

Sorry, busy week for me. Some species are like that, regrowing from fragments into new specimens. So, they may be like Aiptasia in that regard, but my (limited current) understanding is that they typically need a relatively sizeable fragment for regrowth. Either way, to be safe, you'd want to make sure you get the whole thing if you try to remove them.