Baby worm?

[Naiad]

I was doing some sump cleaning and came across a worm that I am not sure about. It is tiny... for now. It is not a bristle worm that is for sure. It has little tentacles on its head and a distinct optical spot. It looks just like a millipede and even moves like one. It crawls very fast.

 

[ReefMadScientist]

Dude get rid of it. I saw one when I was a kid on TV and those things get huge!!!

 

[Naiad]

Haha neverending story. I loved that as a kid.

 

[ReefMadScientist]

Haha neverending story. I loved that as a kid.

Smart man lol :)

 

[erk]

From what it looks like that is a type of eunicid. They have spines along their body to aid in moving through their burrows. You can somewhat identify what type of eunicid by the number and shape of their antennae or what you have described as tentacles.

 

[Naiad]

Great... There isn't by chance any tiny, fairly harmless, Eunice species out there? A Google search just brings up the bobbit worm and if this is one of those I am really not looking forward to finding mommy.

 

[clownfitch]

Dude get rid of it. I saw one when I was a kid on TV and those things get huge!!!

lol! He's working on that algae problem too!

 

[erk]

If you look up the Eunice species, there are others but the majority are not reef safe or really aquarium safe unless you are trying to keep them. There won't be any parents in the tank. The worm probably came in as a hitchhiker. The worms broadcast spawn much in the same way that clams do. Pretty cool creatures when it comes down to it.

 

[Naiad]

What confuses me is I have added nothing but frag plugs for the last year and half.... so where would such a small worm come from.