Can Lionfish eat Bristle worms?

[CombJelly Cuddler]

Earlier tonight I was removing a Bristle worm from my tank and my Spotfin Lionfish seemed interested in it. I remembered hearing that sometimes Lionfish will eat Bristleworms so I offered it to him and he immediately spit it out and began flexing his mouth, clearly hurt. I panicked and immediately looked up if they could eat them and to my confusion some sources said they cant, others said yes but it hurts them and some said absolutely they will with no issues. Clearly it did irritate him and even though he should be okay I still feel very awful. Now he's ticked and is harassing the invertebrates for fun...Has anyone's Lionfish actually eaten them without issues? Please let me know. Thank you.

 

[Subsea]

A lionfish will eat any fish that will fit in its mouth; I doubt that a Lionfish eats bristle worms naturally.

 

[Subsea]

Earlier tonight I was removing a Bristle worm from my tank and my Spotfin Lionfish seemed interested in it. I remembered hearing that sometimes Lionfish will eat Bristleworms so I offered it to him and he immediately spit it out and began flexing his mouth, clearly hurt. I panicked and immediately looked up if they could eat them and to my confusion some sources said they cant, others said yes but it hurts them and some said absolutely they will with no issues. Clearly it did irritate him and even though he should be okay I still feel very awful. Now he's ticked and is harassing the invertebrates for fun...Has anyone's Lionfish actually eaten them without issues? Please let me know. Thank you.

Sometimes, fish do the darnedest things. Once, while feeding mussel strips to display, a green mandarin dragonet attacked & eat a mussel strip longer then he.