Ordinary bristle worm?

[exnisstech]

Or fire worm? I have plenty of bristle worms in all tank but I saw this guy last night. Its more colorful than all others and it's bristles look thicker and more like bunches or tufts and more white but I dunno. I'm thinking just a color bristle worm what do you think?

 

[Dom]

Looks to be a fire worm to me. If it is, I've read they can be a problem to corals.

You may want to remove it, but not with bare hands!

 

[sixty_reefer]

I’d say fire worm also

 

[DSC reef]

Agree with fireworm

 

[DaJMasta]

I'm on the side of regular old bristle worm. Seen some with reddish or orange coloration but the intensity of the look of a fire worm isn't the same.

 

[fishface NJ]

fireworm

 

[MasterClassReefs]

That is a fire worm. Nasty little buggers.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Or fire worm? I have plenty of bristle worms in all tank but I saw this guy last night. Its more colorful than all others and it's bristles look thicker and more like bunches or tufts and more white but I dunno. I'm thinking just a color bristle worm what do you think?

I would compare with some specimens of the lined fireworm, Pherecardia striata:
https://www.underwaterkwaj.com/uw-misc/polychaete/Pherecardia-striata.htm

These guys are omnivorous, and may prey on invertebrates:

"Pherecardia striata apparently is chemically attracted to injured Acanthaster individuals and can be a significant source of their mortality by entering the body cavity through wounds made by other predators and consuming mostly soft tissues (Glynn 1984). In laboratory feeding trials P. striata showed strong preference for crustacean over Acanthaster remains, and gut contents included crustacean, polychaete, mollusc, and other unidentified animal tissue, and a few individuals examined were cannibalistic (Glynn 1984). Algae and detritus were found in greater frequency in gut contents than were animal remains, however, indicating a tendency toward omnivory (Glynn 1984)."*

*Source:
https://www.academia.edu/20712292/Diet_of_Worms_Emended_An_Update_of_Polychaete_Feeding_Guilds

 

[exnisstech]

I would compare with some specimens of the lined fireworm, Pherecardia striata:
https://www.underwaterkwaj.com/uw-misc/polychaete/Pherecardia-striata.htm

Thank you. I have clams so I'll be on the lookout for it and any others.