Worm ID F 21

FAQs about Marine Worms, Vermiform Animals Identification 21

Related Articles: Worms, Featherduster Worms,

Help ¿Marine worm? 4/14/18
Hello! I discovered your website. Good job. A year ago I found a living being on the beaches of Gerona, Catalonia. (Spain). I was half buried in the sand, it is not poisonous or stinging because I took it with my hand and after taking some pictures I returned them to the sea. I've been looking for information but I do not know what it is. Could you help me? Thank you very much. Greetings from Spain.
<Mmm; these might be Echiurans... Please see the Net and here Re: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/echwrmidfaqs.htm
Bob Fenner>

in a cup?

Can you Id this? 3/17/18
Hello Bob and WetWetMedia Friends,
<Hey Raul>
I took a picture of a Berghia Nudibranch and I noticed something else on the picture.
<Nice pix!>
Something I have seen over some mushrooms.
Can you identify the thing the arrow is pointing at, that you can see covering the mushrooms in the other 2 pictures?
<Oh yeah>
Is it a plague? A parasite? Or is something normal the mushrooms have?
<These are flatworms... some folks lose their minds launching attacks against such... best to be patient, perhaps add a biological control (predator). Let's have you read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/flatworms.htm
and the linked files above re>
Thank you.
Best regards,
Raul Labastida
<Welcome! Bob Fenner>

Sea creature ID 1/17/18
Hi,
I found this creature on the beach at Sorrento, a town on Port Philip Bay, near Melbourne, Southeast Australia.
It looks like a sea cucumber, but I have searched the net, including your site, and haven't found any that are white.
It measured about 15cm end to end.
Could it be an albino? Or not a sea Cuke at all, but something else?
Thanks,
Daniel
<Looks too smooth to be a Sea Cucumber... my guess is on a worm group. Perhaps a Sipunculid, Echiuran.
Bob Fenner>

Weird invert buried in sand Id help? 12/12/17
I was raking my sand with my Python and I started sucking up one of my Fighting Conch or tiger conch and it looked like the Conch was attached to this thing or just next to it Quinta dentley <Coincidentally?> but I thought it was just the
Conch having a really long sexual experience but it turns out it was its own thing I have no idea what this thing is I do have a bristle worm issue in my tank but it wasn't near a lot of them and it does not look nothing like a bristle worm maybe it's some sort of bristle worm machine I don't know maybe you guys can
Thank You!
<Neato! This appears to be a Sipunculid... not harmful; indeed, indicative of healthy circumstances in your system. Bob Fenner>

Critter ID 10/25/27
Hi there, I've got a funny little dude on one of my corals. I've asked every reefing group I can find and no one has an idea. It started off between these two heads of hammer coral and looked like a Chiton at first--it's a series of armored plates. Then it sort of curved as you can see here in the photo and it's growing fast. There are three of them now.
It is very, very hard--harder than the coral stalk and absolutely nothing budges it, even trying to slide a razor blade under the edge hasn't been successful. The picture below shows it just opened its 'mouth' end which is usually shut tight. Any ideas what it could be? I'd hate to kill it if it's a reef safe critter. Thank you!!!
<Mmm; can't quite make out in your pix, but would have guessed at first glance that these were Chitons as you mention, and with the clue that they can't be removed with a razor blade either limpets of some sort or, my final guess (for now) that these are a species of calcareous tube-building worm or snail. I would leave them here.
Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>

Worm id & guidance 5/31/17
Tonight, as I was walking by the tank on the way to bed, I thought I saw a long string or piece of Chaetomorpha hanging across a rock. Upon further inspection, it was some species of worm.
<Mmm; there are many... phyla, species... most are benign>
The lights were out, so I couldn't really get a sense of its coloring.
However, the part I saw was about 8-9 inches long, about the thickness of a strand of Chaeto, and had a "head" in the shape of a "T". The two proboscis were frilly and moving over the rock. It looked very much like this
(Bonellia): http://species-identification.org/species.php?species_group=macrobenthos_misc&id=22 . Does that ring a bell?
<Sort of... classical characteristics>
If I'm close to the correct ID, it seems like this is a beneficial creature, don't you think?
<Not harmful... See here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/echwrmidfaqs.htm
Carter
<Bob Fenner>
Re: Worm id & guidance 5/31/17
You're quick on the draw tonight! Thanks as always! I hope you have a wonderful evening/day wherever you are!
<Thank you Carter. B>
Carter

Please Identify 3/4/17
Hi all,
<Hey Chris>
We just lost a Porcupine Puffer (Diodon holocanthus) and since we aren't all together sure of the cause of his death, we wanted to make sure everything in the tank was dried out and dead (even all of the rock and sand) before deciding what of the supplies we wanted to introduce into our other marine tanks. While moving one of the live rocks, we found this creature embedded. It is quite large (about the size of my pinky finger).
Can you help identify it?
<Ah yes; I believe so. This appears to be an Echiuran:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/echwrmidfaqs.htm
Thanks.
<Not harmful; in fact indicative of good conditions. Bob Fenner>

Unidentified hitchhiker 12/13/16
I have recently moved a Pocillopora colony to another part of my tank. The Pocillopora had been in that position for over a year.
Tonight while looking at the area I intend to fill with another coral I was surprised by a hitchhiker I've not seen before.
<Oh? Oh!>
It's body diameter is about 3-4mm, and it's body length (that which I've seen emerging from the rock) is approx 6" long. It is pitch black with a white zigzag pattern surrounding its head.
I've attached a photo of the head to give you an idea.
Any ideas?
<Oh, yeah. See here: http://wetwebmedia.com/ribnwrmidfaqs.htm>
Thanks,
Craig
<Welcome; and happy holidays. Bob Fenner>

Unknown worm. 7/10/16
After a couple of years of happy reefing and not bothering you guys. I added a new rock to my tank. And a couple of days later I noticed a worm in my tank. Looked all over your site and haven't found one that matches.
About 2 foot long and about 1/4 inc in circumference. It has legs like a centipede but they seem to point up and down. About every third one or so is sticking up. The head end looks like a worm with a square shovel for a head. I tried taking a picture but it sucked. I found one online accept that I didn't see eyes on mine, but the shovel shaped extension is similar. Mine might have been a bit more squared and thicker. I have seen it a couple of weeks but I haven/t realized how big it was until it has migrated earlier this week and it seemed to go on forever. But judging on where the head was and the tail was its about 2 feet maybe more. It wasn't a concern until I saw it bug my turbo snail earlier today. It didn't seen to have taken a bite just poked it with the head end an than gave up after several attempts. I attached a couple of pictures and a video. Hopefully it will all fit in your inbox. Please let me know what you think it is and if I should try and get it out. And if I do, should I wear some sort of protection. Thank you. Artur.
<Hi Artur
Jordan with you tonight. Unfortunately you have an Oenone fulgida. A particularly nasty predator that I'm all too familiar with. They prey primarily on gastropods but I've seen them go after other inverts. They are primarily nocturnal and it is odd that you saw one during the day. I would take that as a sign that there are likely many more. I've had success removing them with a PVC trap. Use an 8 or 9 inch piece of PVC capped with removable ends. Drill a small hole in the pipe for the worms to enter. Bait the trap using PE Mysid inside a mesh bag that is tied shut so they cannot get to the bait. Place in the tank at lights out and pull in the morning.
Wear gloves as the worms produce a toxic mucus. Conus regius can be used to keep numbers in check but it will prey on beneficial Polychaetes as well.>

Re: Unknown worm. ID and Polychaete control 7/9/16        7/12/16
I have a healthy cleanup crew with many different worms. Will i be able to separate the nasty one from the good stuff? If yes than what's the best way? If not than how do i limit the amount of benign worms i have to throw away. Im assuming that the thing was just looking for a new home because i have transferred a rock from my friends tank in to mine recently. Or at least i hope so. Dealing with an infestation of those things is not what i want to do. Thank you for the quick response. <Hi Artur. I have limited saltwater experience but have dealt with these things myself. Someone else with a better idea may chime in here as well but I introduced a predatory specie that would remove them much like a freshwater assassin snail would kill and consume nuisance snails. Conus regius would be a wise choice. Like Jordan said there are likely many more. Id use the PVC trap and depending on how large your system is I would consider building 2. I inherited a 400 gallon system from my father with these ugly little critters in it. I made 3 traps and introduced a small armada of 5 Conus regious and it cleared them out of the system rather quickly. Feel free to contact us anytime with anymore questions. Good luck. ~Ian>
re: Unknown worm.7/9/16        7/12/16
I had a crown conch before. It ate all of my snails. Its like fighting fire with fire. Ill stick to the traps. Any sigestion<suggestion?> on the size? Do i need to makw<make likely > it longer than the worm i intend to catch? What about the width? I have some one inch pvc im not using, will that work? I got a 65 gallon but its being overfed relygeously<...>. So my worms and copepods and stars are probably enough to keep your 400 as clean as a wostle. I had a batch of 30 Turbos die in my sump about a month ago and the tank didn't even get phased. So im assuming that even if i catch the really bad worms it will be accompanied by about 100 of the good bristle worms and stars. Not to mention the copepods. Any type of bait that the nasty creater will go for that others would not touch? I don't want to decimate my cleaning crew in the process of catching the buggers.
<Please spell check before sending. Unfortunately that's the trick using bait as it will attract a range of critters including the bad worms. I would use mysis shrimp cubes fresh or frozen in a small mesh bag that they cannot get to or consume. I'd use 2" diameter PVC pipe around a foot long. Check the trap regularly and remember to wear protective gloves as these nasty things can and will release a toxic mucus. Then I would empty it into a half full white 5 gallon bucket and if there are any beneficial creatures in there take them out of the bucket and toss them back into your system. Dispose of the other miscellaneous nuisances how you wish. ~Ian>
Re: Unknown worm.    7/13/16
Thank you l. Very much. (I type in multiple languages so i had to shut the spell-check off. Sorry about that.)
<Very welcome. Best of luck to you. Ian>

Tiny worm? 1/30/16
Hello!
I was introducing a peppermint shrimp into my tank and noticed this little guy on the sand next to it. I was able to snag it out before it disappeared. It's about 1mm and seems to have a circular mouth. It also moves fairly fast for something this size. Could you identify it for me?
<Tis a Acoel flatworm of some sort... Go ahead and search, read on WWM re... some folks over-react... Me? Meh.>
Thanks a million!
Abby
<As many welcomes. Bob Fenner>

What kind of worms are these? 4/5/15
Hi guys, i just got some Chaeto from a local store and noticed some hitchhiking worms. A few small and 2 or 3 sizeable ones (1" or so length).
I'm guessing they are Fireworms based on coloration,
<Yes; Errantiate Polychaetes... several families are ID'd on WWM>
but want to clarify if they're harmless or if they're the predatory coral eating Hermodice carunculata, before i introduce them to my reef sump.
Thanks in advance!
Josh
<Are predaceous on something/s... but if not too large or numerous... See WWM re compatibility. Bob Fenner>

Good worm or bad? No pic.... using WWM 4/2/15
I know I have bristle worms in my tank,
<In all marine environments, all saltwater tanks of worth... So?>
which I try to capture or remove cuz I worry they will get inside my fire scallop
<... the File Shell? Not aquarium hardy period. Saw one on a "Fish Tank Kings" episode two nights back... Yet another poor example...>
and hurt him (will they?),
<Could; again... SEE WWM RE: they very rarely live for more than a few weeks... mostly starvation, but other issues...>
but there is another type of worm that I cannot seem to find anything on.
It lives in the sand, not the rocks, very thin and totally white with circular lines around its body, and no part of the body is any larger than the rest; don't even really see a head or such.
<Please peruse WWM RE: DO YOU SEE the Worm ID FAQs files? USE the search tool, or indices>
When I see them, it is always up by the glass and they are usually upright with pay off their body in the sand against the glad and partially above the sand against the glass. They make and leave funny looking hollow tubes, that are totally bumpy, with little hair looking things asking them and at the top.
<Likely other Polychaetes>
These tubes are brittle and crumble if squished, and there is no worm or anything inside the tubes, which is why I say they are hollow. Any clues as to what these worms are, and whether they are good or bad for my saltwater tank?
<Not w/o a decent pic and probably not harmful>
I'm really more curious than concerned cuz they don't seem to bother anything; just leave a horrible mess of protruding bumpy tubes all over the sand. (The quantity of tubes they make and leave is pretty massive, as I
only have a 10 gallon tank currently,
<Very hard to keep such small systems.... too variable, unstable>
and I don't remember seeing them in my ex's 29 gallon tank over the years we were together; bristle worms were there but not these white ones.)
Please let me know if you have any clue what they might be. Thanks.
Rayne
<Do you need help using WWM? Please go back where you found how to write us and use Eric's guide.
Bob Fenner>

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