Weird dangerous worm!!

[Cole nelson]

Recently I lost my white China wrasse and royal gramma to unknown reasons. In the sand bed I have found a mysterious red worm which is not a bristle worm. I’m curious if this worm may have caused the death.

 

[Cole nelson]

Keep in mind the bodies were not found

 

[Eagle_Steve]

@KJ what are your thoughts? I do not think it is a spaghetti worm, as the body does not have the "crease" in the mid section (thorax).

It does look like hair a worm (cirratulus cirratus or similar), which I do not think is a fish hunter, but can't remember for sure. They do eat dead things though, as does all other critters in the sand.

Edit: meant to add for future reference, that most of what looks like tentacles on these guys is actually gills. Spaghetti, wire, and hair worms usually only have 2-4 that are actual feeding palps. They are located at the head portion of the body.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Looks like a Spaghetti worm to me

 

[WVNed]

A spaghetti worm has the tendrils on the end. This has 2 pointy ends and they are in the middle.

 

[Coastie Reefer]

Nothing for size reference, but I'd say it's doubtful that it took down your fish.

 

[BlueDamselReef]

Hair/Spaghetti worm

 

[Eagle_Steve]

A spaghetti worm has the tendrils on the end. This has 2 pointy ends and they are in the middle.

Nice catch on that aspect also. I was more focused on the lack of noticeable separation of the head from the thorax.

After some google foo, I believe I figured it out.
Cirratulid polychaete one of the many types of hair worms (often confused with spaghetti worms).

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Nice catch on that aspect also. I was more focused on the lack of noticeable separation of the head from the thorax.

After some google foo, I believe I figured it out.
Cirratulid polychaete one of the many types of hair worms (often confused with spaghetti worms).

Also, they are mostly filter feeders with occasional sand sifting (fine grains). It would have only been able to consume very fine particulates of any dead fish.

 

[Cole nelson]

Thank you everyone for helping ID this guy! He’s probably about 3 inches long, but it sounds like he’s actually beneficial so I might just throw him back into my tank. Now I’m back on the hunt to figure out what is killing my poor fish!

 

[sfin52]

Whatever it is may maybe a night Hunter. I would recommend letting your lights go out for the night. After a couple of hours I would wander over to the tank with a red light. Happy hunting