Large tube worm with two antenna

[Osbie Feel]

Hello good people of R2R, I noticed this rather large tube worm under my rocks today. It appears to be in a calcareous tube, I would put it at 7mm across. It has two speckled-looking antenna that you can see in the picture, along with a bit of what I asume is its mouth. Its head is rather like the head of a snail. Unfortunately it is facing away from the glass so it is hard to get a good look at the guy. I did some googling but this isn't like anything I'm seeing across various ID articles, any ideas?

 

[Saltyreef]

Hello good people of R2R, I noticed this rather large tube worm under my rocks today. It appears to be in a calcareous tube, I would put it at 7mm across. It has two speckled-looking antenna that you can see in the picture, along with a bit of what I asume is its mouth. Its head is rather like the head of a snail. Unfortunately it is facing away from the glass so it is hard to get a good look at the guy. I did some googling but this isn't like anything I'm seeing across various ID articles, any ideas?

Thats a stomatella snail.
It will move all over the tank to graze on various algaes. Very beneficial hitch hiker.

 

[KrisReef]

I think I need to get my eyes examined. "Tubes with antena" often are pest snails but I don't see that here. I don't see anything really. Oh good, someone else has posted, maybe they have better eyes ^

Edit. I don't see a Stomatella either. I'm out

 

[Saltyreef]

I think I need to get my eyes examined. "Tubes with antena" often are pest snails but I don't see that here. I don't see anything really. Oh good, someone else has posted, maybe they have better eyes ^

Its hard to see but the speckled body gives it away

 

[Saltyreef]

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

If it's mobile, then it likely is a Stomatella snail. However, if it's sessile (i.e. assuming it doesn't move around in your tank, and it just stays in it's spot/tube), then it wouldn't be a Stomatella snail.

So, assuming it's sessile, I've seen a handful of large Vermetid snail species that look like this (not many people take pics of the Vermetid's head, or of the snail outside of the tube); it may be one of those, or it could also be either a Spionid or Chaetopterid worm.

I haven't heard of large Vermetids growing to huge numbers in our tanks (but most people remove them on sight), and Vermetids don't always irritate corals (there are a few people on here with pics of their corals growing over some Vermetid snails in their tanks) - anyway, it might not be bad/too bad.

Spionids and Chaetopterids are usually harmless (with my understanding being Spionids usually build their tubes in rocks or occasionally coral skeletons, and Chaetopterids usually build their tubes in the sand), but can sometimes grow to massive populations and be incredibly unsightly (particularly if they do grow in the coral skeletons).

 

[Saltyreef]

Ive seen stomatellas stay in a single location for as much as 24h before they spawn. (Stands on the end of its foot, stretched out and shoots eggs straight up into the waterflow)
I dont see any other signs of it being anything else.

 

[Osbie Feel]

Thanks for the input everyone. My first thought was stomatella, but I really don't think it is for the following reasons...

• Doesn't have the typical 'half shell.'
• Still hasn't moved
• Only the antennae are speckled, the 'body' is simply white
• It is very sensitive to movement and will retract its head back into the tube
• Not flat like a stomatella, the tube seems round in cross section

Maybe it is some species of chaetopterid. I have some in the tank but they look quite different. I guess if it ever moves I'll know for sure.

 

[Osbie Feel]

I'm thinking this is some giant kind of vermetid snail now. Its hard to see with the poor lighting under the rock but I just noticed that it is casting out a mucus net that looks similar to vermetids. I had no idea they could get this big! He's not bothering anyone down there so I guess he can stay... for now.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I'm thinking this is some giant kind of vermetid snail now. Its hard to see with the poor lighting under the rock but I just noticed that it is casting out a mucus net that looks similar to vermetids. I had no idea they could get this big! He's not bothering anyone down there so I guess he can stay... for now.

Yeah, the biggest vermetid species has a max length of 45 cm (though 10cm is average), so some of them can be huge.

Edit: the species name is Ceraesignum maximum.