Weird critters in coral bags

[tjbrownie]

Got these corals and they had super strange critters roaming around the bag walls. Hoping to ID them. Dipped the corals-they look great.

 

[MelancholyBlenny]

Definitely some sort of flatworm, what type im not sure. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will chime in

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Got these corals and they had super strange critters roaming around the bag walls. Hoping to ID them. Dipped the corals-they look great.

Dang! Did an LFS sell them to you?? It's hard to tell from the video but they don't look to me like ones known to be harmless. Doesn't mean they are actually harmful, but further ID is needed.
Is your coral in a quarantine tank?

Edit: I watched your video again and the one you show at the end looks like a polyclad to me... but I'm not an expert. (I hope my id is wrong...)

@WheatToast
@ISpeakForTheSeas

 

[tjbrownie]

Dang! Did an LFS sell them to you?? It's hard to tell from the video but they don't look to me like ones known to be harmless. Doesn't mean they are actually harmful, but further ID is needed.
Is your coral in a quarantine tank?

Edit: I watched your video again and the one you show at the end looks like a polyclad to me... but I'm not an expert. (I hope my id is wrong...)

@WheatToast
@ISpeakForTheSeas

Well they’ve been dipped and I haven’t seen any sign of them in the tank for the 2 weeks I’ve had the coral so I think I’m in the clear

 

[tjbrownie]

Dang! Did an LFS sell them to you?? It's hard to tell from the video but they don't look to me like ones known to be harmless. Doesn't mean they are actually harmful, but further ID is needed.
Is your coral in a quarantine tank?

Edit: I watched your video again and the one you show at the end looks like a polyclad to me... but I'm not an expert. (I hope my id is wrong...)

@WheatToast
@ISpeakForTheSeas

@WheatToast
@ISpeakForTheSeas

 

[damsels are not mean]

There is a type of flatworm known to come in on a lot of euphyllia and fimbriaphyllia. It doesn't really do much harm as far as I know like acro flatworms can. But that is definitely a flatworm.

 

[tjbrownie]

I think I found eggs in my filter sponge

There is a type of flatworm known to come in on a lot of euphyllia and fimbriaphyllia. It doesn't really do much harm as far as I know like acro flatworms can. But that is definitely a flatworm.

lt

 

[WheatToast]

Got these corals and they had super strange critters roaming around the bag walls. Hoping to ID them. Dipped the corals-they look great.

The video is not loading for me. Could you provide a YouTube link?

 

[tjbrownie]

Yes sir

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Looks like it may be a Waminoa sp. - they are known to feed on the coral mucus rather than the coral itself of corals in the family Euphylliidae, as well as mushroom corals. Theoretically, in large numbers these guys could cause problems for corals like stated in the quote* below:
"Apparently, acoels can harm corals by smothering them, which may hinder their respiration, feeding and sediment shedding capacities."

*The link the quote was taken from:

Tissue loss in corals infested by acoelomorph flatworms (Waminoa sp.) - Coral Reefs

link.springer.com

Edit: Also, I have no idea why I didn't get the notification from Erin1971Texas' tag - sorry for the delay.

 

[tjbrownie]

Looks like it may be a Waminoa sp. - they are known to feed on the coral mucus rather than the coral itself of corals in the family Euphylliidae, as well as mushroom corals. Theoretically, in large numbers these guys could cause problems for corals like stated in the quote* below:
"Apparently, acoels can harm corals by smothering them, which may hinder their respiration, feeding and sediment shedding capacities."

*The link the quote was taken from:

Tissue loss in corals infested by acoelomorph flatworms (Waminoa sp.) - Coral Reefs

link.springer.com

Edit: Also, I have no idea why I didn't get the notification from Erin1971Texas' tag - sorry for the delay.

Well they were all over the bag my mushroom and euphillia came in (as I remember I think). So what should I do. I don’t think they are still in the system but I think I found eggs I really don’t know.

 

[Dutch_Mill]

I think I watched some YT video about these flatworms on certain LPS (Fragging & Dipping my *Holy Grail* Torch Coral by Reef Builders). Benign but can annoy the coral when they overgrow. If some survived dipping you might need to dip again after a couple of months. I have the same flatworm on one of my hammers but I barely see them. Whenever one chills on the polyp too long my mandarin picks it off.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

The only confirmed effective method of removal that I'm aware of is a repeated dip and cleaning method (pull any infected corals from the tank, dip them, scrape off any worms/eggs that stay on through the dip, repeat as needed). It may be more effective if you can to dip, scrape, and then put the corals in a different, uninfected tank to wait out the starvation of any eggs/worms in the infected tank, but this may not be possible. The link below has some other ideas you can explore if you'd prefer, but I have no idea if they're effective or not:

EEFW infestation (euphyllia eating flatworms)

Dip them using coral revive. They peel off in seconds using it. I’ve tried other stuff but nothing works even close as good as revive. They spaz right out in seconds and come off the torches Flatworm exit doesn’t work on these at all...

www.reef2reef.com

Edit: Also, here's a link that shows some more known host corals (I would assume these will host on just about any coral they can get too to be honest).

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Photographs-of-Waminoa-specimens-and-their-hosts-a-Specimen-18-host-Echinophyllia-sp_fig2_324516348

 

[bnord]

yellow Coris wrasse in case eggs get through...?

 

[tjbrownie]

yellow Coris wrasse in case eggs get through...?

I could try a wrasse it all depends on tank size they need

 

[tjbrownie]

The only confirmed effective method of removal that I'm aware of is a repeated dip and cleaning method (pull any infected corals from the tank, dip them, scrape off any worms/eggs that stay on through the dip, repeat as needed). It may be more effective if you can to dip, scrape, and then put the corals in a different, uninfected tank to wait out the starvation of any eggs/worms in the infected tank, but this may not be possible. The link below has some other ideas you can explore if you'd prefer, but I have no idea if they're effective or not:

EEFW infestation (euphyllia eating flatworms)

Dip them using coral revive. They peel off in seconds using it. I’ve tried other stuff but nothing works even close as good as revive. They spaz right out in seconds and come off the torches Flatworm exit doesn’t work on these at all...

www.reef2reef.com

Edit: Also, here's a link that shows some more known host corals (I would assume these will host on just about any coral they can get too to be honest).

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Photographs-of-Waminoa-specimens-and-their-hosts-a-Specimen-18-host-Echinophyllia-sp_fig2_324516348

Thank you I will be doing an close analysis of them today and following the procedures you are recommending. I can try and get a tank up during the process.

 

[tjbrownie]

I think I watched some YT video about these flatworms on certain LPS (Fragging & Dipping my *Holy Grail* Torch Coral by Reef Builders). Benign but can annoy the coral when they overgrow. If some survived dipping you might need to dip again after a couple of months. I have the same flatworm on one of my hammers but I barely see them. Whenever one chills on the polyp too long my mandarin picks it off.

Ah I see

 

[tjbrownie]

The only confirmed effective method of removal that I'm aware of is a repeated dip and cleaning method (pull any infected corals from the tank, dip them, scrape off any worms/eggs that stay on through the dip, repeat as needed). It may be more effective if you can to dip, scrape, and then put the corals in a different, uninfected tank to wait out the starvation of any eggs/worms in the infected tank, but this may not be possible. The link below has some other ideas you can explore if you'd prefer, but I have no idea if they're effective or not:

EEFW infestation (euphyllia eating flatworms)

Dip them using coral revive. They peel off in seconds using it. I’ve tried other stuff but nothing works even close as good as revive. They spaz right out in seconds and come off the torches Flatworm exit doesn’t work on these at all...

www.reef2reef.com

Edit: Also, here's a link that shows some more known host corals (I would assume these will host on just about any coral they can get too to be honest).

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Photographs-of-Waminoa-specimens-and-their-hosts-a-Specimen-18-host-Echinophyllia-sp_fig2_324516348

Update- these I saw in my sponge filter I have no clue if they are the eggs

 

[tjbrownie]

Update- these I saw in my sponge filter I have no clue if they are the eggs

Inspected coral, no worms or eggs on the bases of them

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Update- these I saw in my sponge filter I have no clue if they are the eggs

I have no idea what Waminoa sp. eggs look like, so I don't know either. That said, if you can remove the clump there, I would probably do so just to be safe.