Is this a flatworm? It’s huge

[tobster]

Found several of these on sides of torch coral stalks. Close to an inch long and half inch wide.
Are they harmful? It was very flat on the torch but not so much when I put it in the sink.
Thanks

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

@ISpeakForTheSeas , this is an interesting one...

 

[KrisReef]

Can you retake the pictures with a white background, and perhaps some extra water in a dish?

They kind of look like polyclad flatworms but they are hard to see with the dark background.

 

[tobster]

That is actually a white background in the bathroom sink. I already sucked them off with a pipette.
I pulled the torch out of the tank and dipped it and there were several that come off. They do look like flatworms, but very big compared to pictures I’ve seen.

 

[tobster]

Can you retake the pictures with a white background, and perhaps some extra water in a dish?

They kind of look like polyclad flatworms but they are hard to see with the dark background.

If it is a polyclad, are they bad?
I googled polyclad but these were not colorful, just white and tan.

 

[exnisstech]

If it is Polyclad flatworm they get pretty big. Too bad they eat clams and snails because they're actually cool creatures to watch

 

[tobster]

here is the closest I could find online to what the looked like.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

@ISpeakForTheSeas , this is an interesting one...

OP, is the torch doing alright, or is it seeming irritated/like it's dying off randomly? Do your worms look like one from the links below?

(c) by Adam Piecha. Foto von EEFW (Euphyllia Eating FlatWorm)

reeflex.net

EEFW (Euphyllia Eating FlatWorm) EEFW (Euphyllia Eating FlatWorm)

EEFW (Euphyllia Eating FlatWorm) is commonly referred to as EEFW (Euphyllia Eating FlatWorm). Difficulty in the aquarium: Very easy. A aquarium size of at least 50 Liter is recommended. Toxicity: Toxic hazard unknown.

reeflex.net

 

[tobster]

Yes it looks like the ones in the link.
Torch was closed up more than normal which is what caused me to look in the first place.
The torch has been splitting into 2 heads so I thought maybe that’s why it was closed more than normal.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Yes it looks like the ones in the link.
Torch was closed up more than normal which is what caused me to look in the first place.
The torch has been splitting into 2 heads so I thought maybe that’s why it was closed more than normal.

Yeah, I would guess these are Euphyllia-eating Flatworms (EEFW) - not to state the obvious, but they feed on Euphyllia corals, such as torches (Euphyllia glabrescens), so they're not worms you'd generally want in a tank.

 

[tobster]

Yeah, I would guess these are Euphyllia-eating Flatworms (EEFW) - not to state the obvious, but they feed on Euphyllia corals, such as torches (Euphyllia glabrescens), so they're not worms you'd generally want in a tank.

Any recommendations on how to get rid of them?
I have several torches and hammers.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Any recommendations on how to get rid of them?
I have several torches and hammers.

Repeated dipping to get the adults off from any eggs that may hatch and scrubbing to get any eggs you can find off is the tried and true method; some people just dip and skip the scrubbing phase. It just takes a lot of dips, a few weeks, and some patience, as I understand it.

 

[tobster]

Repeated dipping to get the adults off from any eggs that may hatch and scrubbing to get any eggs you can find off is the tried and true method; some people just dip and skip the scrubbing phase. It just takes a lot of dips, a few weeks, and some patience, as I understand it.

Thank you! I’ll give that a try.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Thank you! I’ll give that a try.

Hope it helps!

 

[tobster]

Hope it helps!

I found these crawling on the glass today after dipping the torch yesterday evening.
Still think Euphyllia flatworm?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I found these crawling on the glass today after dipping the torch yesterday evening.
Still think Euphyllia flatworm?

With that first one, yes - the elongated body on the third seems more like a Prosthiostomid flatworm of some variety, but I could be wrong.

 

[tobster]

With that first one, yes - the elongated body on the third seems more like a Prosthiostomid flatworm of some variety, but I could be wrong.

I was finally able to get some good pictures today when I was cleaning my tank. I found this guy. Are these bad?

 

[tobster]

I was finally able to get some good pictures today when I was cleaning my tank. I found this guy. Are these bad?

Forgot to add it’s about 2 inches long

 

[Devin6871]

Those sure do look like euphyllia eaters. Especially with the description of where you found them. I was unable to get rid of them via dipping as the adults would slide up under the polyp of the euphyllia between it and the skeleton itself.

You'll have to remove adults with a pipette as you have been combined with dips.

After battling them for months I eventually removed all euphyllia from my tank and have just reintroduced them after 2 years.

 

[tobster]

Those sure do look like euphyllia eaters. Especially with the description of where you found them. I was unable to get rid of them via dipping as the adults would slide up under the polyp of the euphyllia between it and the skeleton itself.

You'll have to remove adults with a pipette as you have been combined with dips.

After battling them for months I eventually removed all euphyllia from my tank and have just reintroduced them after 2 years.

That’s not what I wanted to hear.
I did removed them several weeks ago and got several off by dipping them. I thought they were gone, but then found this one today.
I only ever see them on the torches.
Do they bother hammer corals as well?