Worm ID?

[CK00020]

Bristle or fire?

 

[CK00020]

Looks way more red and orange than the pic shows

 

[dimitrinivo]

fireworm

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Fireworm. Too wide to be a bristle worm and the red patches nesr the base of whire bristles is characteristic of fireworks.

 

[CK00020]

That’s what I thought, Thanks

 

[Gtinnel]

I've been doing a lot of reading about bristle/fireworms recently and from what I understand that is considered a fireworm. However, it is not the bearded fireworm that most people are talking about when they say fireworm. The "bad" fireworm is a hermodice carunculata, which that is not.
That is a Eurythoe complanata and generally considered harmless.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

I've been doing a lot of reading about bristle/fireworms recently and from what I understand that is considered a fireworm. However, it is not the bearded fireworm that most people are talking about when they say fireworm. The "bad" fireworm is a hermodice carunculata, which that is not.
That is a Eurythoe complanata and generally considered harmless.

Fireworm period = bad in my opinion. The bristles can cause you a nice jolt if you mistakenly grab one and people have seen them go after small fish while they sleep. Anything over 1” worm wise that has bristles is dead on arrival in my tank.

 

[Gtinnel]

Fireworm period = bad in my opinion. The bristles can cause you a nice jolt if you mistakenly grab one and people have seen them go after small fish while they sleep. Anything over 1” worm wise that has bristles is dead on arrival in my tank.

I have plenty of them in my tank, hence the reason I was reading about them, and they don't seem to harm anything. Everything I've read about them says they're harmless scavengers. IMO the problem is people hear fireworm and instantly group them with the bearded fireworm, which can be a predator.

I don't know about getting poked with the bristles but I don't think its as bad as a bearded fireworm either, but I'm not going to test that theory.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

I have plenty of them in my tank, hence the reason I was reading about them, and they don't seem to harm anything. Everything I've read about them says they're harmless scavengers. IMO the problem is people hear fireworm and instantly group them with the bearded fireworm, which can be a predator.

I don't know about getting poked with the bristles but I don't think its as bad as a bearded fireworm either, but I'm not going to test that theory.

They kinda creep me out is part of the reason I hate them so bad. Not many things I murder in my tank but bristle worms are public enemy #1

 

[Gtinnel]

They kinda creep me out is part of the reason I hate them so bad. Not many things I murder in my tank but bristle worms are public enemy #1

Bristleworms don't really bother me because I don't see them very often during the day unless I feed reef roids, at which point they come out from everywhere. It's almost shocking how many there are. My next fish will probably be a melanurus wrasse, so I'm hoping the small ones end up being a constant food source for him.

 

[king aiptasia]

I've been doing a lot of reading about bristle/fireworms recently and from what I understand that is considered a fireworm. However, it is not the bearded fireworm that most people are talking about when they say fireworm. The "bad" fireworm is a hermodice carunculata, which that is not.
That is a Eurythoe complanata and generally considered harmless.

yes, you are correct. only one, the Hermodice carunculata has occasionally offered issue. he can only be recognized by his unique face caruncle

 

[king aiptasia]

I have plenty of them in my tank, hence the reason I was reading about them, and they don't seem to harm anything. Everything I've read about them says they're harmless scavengers. IMO the problem is people hear fireworm and instantly group them with the bearded fireworm, which can be a predator.

I don't know about getting poked with the bristles but I don't think its as bad as a bearded fireworm either, but I'm not going to test that theory.

all the amphinomidae worms can give pretty annoying stings, its how they keep the fish from eating them. Virtually all amphinomidae worms you will encounter are friends

 

[Gtinnel]

all the amphinomidae worms can give pretty annoying stings, its how they keep the fish from eating them. Virtually all amphinomidae worms you will encounter are friends

Yes but from my understanding in that Family the pain from the sting can very significantly. I've heard that fireworm (I'm assuming Hermodice carunculata) stings are quite painful, but you can see pictures of people holding Eurythoe complanata. So I'm guessing even though many hobbiests count Eurythoe complanata as a fireworm the sting isn't as bad?

Also, I'm glad you replied to this thread it was a post of yours on another thread that caused me to start researching. Like many hobbiests I instantly assumed a flatter body shape and red near the bristles meant evil fireworm.

 

[king aiptasia]

Yes but from my understanding in that Family the pain from the sting can very significantly. I've heard that fireworm (I'm assuming Hermodice carunculata) stings are quite painful, but you can see pictures of people holding Eurythoe complanata. So I'm guessing even though many hobbiests count Eurythoe complanata as a fireworm the sting isn't as bad?

Also, I'm glad you replied to this thread it was a post of yours on another thread that caused me to start researching. Like many hobbiests I instantly assumed a flatter body shape and red near the bristles instantly meant evil fireworm.

I'm glad I have got someone reading deeper in this matter There is still a lot I don't know, and need to figure out; like the species complexes, there is apparently quite a few species that look extremely similar to us but genetically are very different.

I tested it on Eurythoe once before, and it was quite irritating, not like fire but like burning itch from fiberglass insulation. I need to try if on Hermodice but it is actually quite hard to find them

these specific sea mice, I've never seen in a tank but are pretty rough, they spend their time eating crabs and other polychaetes and they sting pretty rough despite being called a sea mouse