Flatworm ID help

[ds1000]

Can someone help me identify what I believe to be a flatworm I found in my sump. The two pictures are it on the glass and then when I removed it and put it on my microscope slide.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Can someone help me identify what I believe to be a flatworm I found in my sump. The two pictures are it on the glass and then when I removed it and put it on my microscope slide.

This is a polyclad flatworm and they are not harmful as red planaria, they in numbers can smother bases of coral and block the needed light for production of zooxanthellae which is their energy source.
Removal can be accomplished by siphoning them with a 3/8" tubing into a nylon stocking and discard
OR
Add a wrasse such as Yellow coris, 6 line, lunare or malanurus OR even a springieri damsel which will eat them

With the number you have, for the next 2 weeks you will have to look for eggs and scrape off as there is likely some and would be future acoels. Eggs are really tiny

 

[ds1000]

Thanks for the reply. I have found and removed two so far in my sump

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Can someone help me identify what I believe to be a flatworm I found in my sump. The two pictures are it on the glass and then when I removed it and put it on my microscope slide.

Hard to say for sure from the pics, but I actually think you may have a Runcina sp. headshield slug - they're good if so:

I'm thinking a Runcina sp. headshield slug - if so, members of the genus reportedly feed on diatoms, so it would be a keeper.

If you do a Google Images search for "Runcina species" you should get a number of good images you can compare with; the (at least mostly) solid white and black stripes forming the collar there can be found a few different species in the genus, but I'm not familiar enough with the genus yet to know which species your specimen might be.

I've been able to find for sure is that they reportedly eat diatoms, algae, and "dead marine phanerogams" (dead seagrass).

 

[tbrown]

Hard to say for sure from the pics, but I actually think you may have a Runcina sp. headshield slug - they're good if so:

Interesting critter! Never seen any of those before.

 

[ds1000]

Here is a video of him moving around in my bucket.

 

[ds1000]

Here it is under a microscope

 

[ds1000]

Sorry here is the video

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Interesting critter! Never seen any of those before.

Here is a video of him moving around in my bucket.

Super cool videos there - yeah, I would guess a Runcina species, so it should be good CUC/a keeper. They're fairly rare and quite neat little critters.

 

[ds1000]

Back in the sump he goes lol. I appreciate the help!!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Sorry here is the video

Regardless of species, they lay eggs and will multiply quickly. I do Not recommend flatworms as a CUC which can get into your pump and eventually make IT INTO and invade your tank - Bad advice given. Its your choice but you will not see flatworms for sale based on their need for slime and algae and will eventually go for coral and other means for survival and are egg layers even though they feed on diatoms also, you dont want a tank full of them especially being classified as a slug

 

[tbrown]

Regardless of species, they lay eggs and will multiply quickly. I do Not recommend flatworms as a CUC which can get into your pump and eventually make IT INTO and invade your tank - Bad advice given. Its your choice but you will not see flatworms for sale based on their need for slime and algae and will eventually go for coral and other means for survival and are egg layers even though they feed on diatoms also, you dont want a tank full of them especially being classified as a slug

I believe it's a Nudibranch though, not a flatworm. Flatworms can be invasive, yes. Nudibranches can be beneficial.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Regardless of species, they lay eggs and will multiply quickly. I do Not recommend flatworms as a CUC which can get into your pump and eventually make IT INTO and invade your tank - Bad advice given. Its your choice but you will not see flatworms for sale based on their need for slime and algae and will eventually go for coral and other means for survival and are egg layers even though they feed on diatoms also, you dont want a tank full of them especially being classified as a slug

Just to clarify - I'm ID'ing these as a kind of sea slug, not a flatworm.

To be more specific, Runcina head shield slugs are more closely related to sea hares than flatworms:*
"

1. Biota
2. Animalia (Kingdom)
3. Mollusca (Phylum)
4. Gastropoda (Class)
5. Heterobranchia (Subclass)
6. Euthyneura (Infraclass)
7. Tectipleura (Subterclass)
8. Runcinida (Order)
9. Runcinoidea (Superfamily)
10. Runcinidae (Family)
11. Runcina (Genus)

"
Sea Hares split from Runcinid slugs at the subterclass Tectipleura.

The taxonomy for polyclad flatworms is:**
"

1. Biota
2. Animalia (Kingdom)
3. Platyhelminthes (Phylum)
4. Rhabditophora (Subphylum)
5. Polycladida (Order)

"

*Source:

WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Runcina Forbes, 1851

www.marinespecies.org

**Source:

WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Polycladida

www.marinespecies.org

 

[ds1000]

Just to clarify - I'm ID'ing these as a kind of sea slug, not a flatworm.

To be more specific, Runcina head shield slugs are more closely related to sea hares than flatworms:*
"

1. Biota
2. Animalia (Kingdom)
3. Mollusca (Phylum)
4. Gastropoda (Class)
5. Heterobranchia (Subclass)
6. Euthyneura (Infraclass)
7. Tectipleura (Subterclass)
8. Runcinida (Order)
9. Runcinoidea (Superfamily)
10. Runcinidae (Family)
11. Runcina (Genus)

"
Sea Hares split from Runcinid slugs at the subterclass Tectipleura.

The taxonomy for polyclad flatworms is:**
"

1. Biota
2. Animalia (Kingdom)
3. Platyhelminthes (Phylum)
4. Rhabditophora (Subphylum)
5. Polycladida (Order)

"

*Source:

WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Runcina Forbes, 1851

www.marinespecies.org

**Source:

WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Polycladida

www.marinespecies.org

I had a sea hare in my tank before that a bought from my local fish store. It passed but maybe these came from that?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I had a sea hare in my tank before that a bought from my local fish store. It passed but maybe these came from that?

No, these are separate critters (just more closely related to sea hares than to flatworms despite how they look) - these would have hitchhiked in on something (live rock, algae, coral frags, larger snails/hermits, etc.).

 

[vetteguy53081]

I had a sea hare in my tank before that a bought from my local fish store. It passed but maybe these came from that?

Likely came in on live rock or coral piece