What is this worm?!

Suesea · Aug 28, 2020

taricha said:
Yep. 0:21 in second video. Definitive. Those who said it's a polychaete worm win the prize.

....despite the fact that it uses the bristles like fins and swims like a dang fish, it's a worm.
It's my least favorite worm ever.

Yea it does swim like a fish or serpent or eel or something lolololomao. I know, I know you said it's a wayward worm.

stanleo · Aug 29, 2020

av8soulfly said:
Apparently lampreys are a delicacy in Portugal with rice and beans. ;Vomit

I will eat any dish once. BUT with this, I would make an exception. bleh!

stanleo · Aug 29, 2020

taricha said:
Yep. 0:21 in second video. Definitive. Those who said it's a polychaete worm win the prize.

....despite the fact that it uses the bristles like fins and swims like a dang fish, it's a worm.
It's my least favorite worm ever.

I think you are right, I take back my lamprey ID. Definitely a worm of some kind. So many species of those polycheates, it would be impossible without a specialist to ID the specific one. But it is a cool find. probably my favorite worm ever. But I wouldn't want it in my tank.

Reefer Reboot · Aug 29, 2020

;Facepalm I'll have to concede to you @KJ about blood worms being poor swimmers. Please allow me to present one more "guess" for your consideration.

Glycera sp. from the same Phylum Annelida

Annelid - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

vetteguy53081 · Aug 29, 2020

Planaria worm

Chrille26 · Aug 29, 2020

Thanks for all the replies with guesses and funny comments!

Here are the best shots I managed to get last night.

TriggerFinger · Aug 29, 2020

You said it attacked your fish, are they hurt?

Chrille26 · Aug 30, 2020

TriggerFinger said:
You said it attacked your fish, are they hurt?

Thanks for your concern, yes all the fishes seem fine as far as I can tell.
Funny thing is after I removed the worm, two of my Fire Gobys who have been hiding alot inside the rockwork is actually out and swimming alot more now.
I have lost alot of fishes without visual evidense of decease so it could of been it but I dont know for sure.

AKReef · Sep 21, 2020

I don't know what made me think of this thread, but what did you end up doing with the monster?

spiraling · Sep 21, 2020

Were they bristles or appendages?
possibly related to these? https://www.melevsreef.com/critter/oenone-fulgida

Chibils · Sep 21, 2020

spiraling said:
Were they bristles or appendages?
possibly related to these? https://www.melevsreef.com/critter/oenone-fulgida

Gnarly!

anthonygf · Sep 21, 2020

Chrille26 said:
Hi! I just fed my tank, 5 minutes later this worm shoots out of nowhere and attacks one of my clowns and my sand goby! Then it swims freely in the water like a eel.
I would never have caught it if it didnt get sucked stuck into a streamer for a second so I could scoop it out.
Any ID on it? I know for sure it attacked my fishes, it went straight for them. dang I hate all the crap housed in liverock sometimes. ;Dead

Jawless fish, Lamprey.

SaltISlife · Sep 21, 2020

Sorry but i cant stop thinking if this thing crawling in my body omg..

Chrille26 · Sep 23, 2020

I am still nervous about putting my hands around the rockwork, even though I havent seen any more, but I didnt see this one either until it shot out so thats not really a comfort.
I had to end its life and tossed it, I felt it had no place in my reef.
I am not sure a positive id was ever made? All I know is it was a bad guy!

spiraling · Sep 23, 2020

You can check for more by putting bait out at night - like a nice piece of clam. Turn on your red lights only so they don't know you are watching. I caught a bunch on oenone worms in a trap this way. There were a LOT more than I expected to see.