Red & White hitchiker ID?

SBlisters

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
144
Reaction score
119
Location
Aurora, IL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I saw what looked like a worm living in one of my rocks.
Its width was larger than that of a charger cord, but less than a pencil.
Didn't see back end, but front end had several (4?) tentacular cirri that were skinny and long. Reminiscent of a medusa worm, but not hairy.
Body was tubular and uniform in width (what I saw of it). Bright red color with horizontal white banding at (what appeared to be) irregular intervals.
The closest coloring I've been able to compare it to for what I've seen online is the picture below (NOTE- NOT PIC OF WHAT I SAW) of what was labeled as a ribbon worm. The anatomy of the ribbon worm doesn't seem to match up with what I saw because of the feelers.
Does NOT have the locomotive little spikes that a Bristle Worm has. Smooth body, that didn't appear to be segmented.

I've only seen this thing one time while I was feeding. It lives in the rock that my green star polyp is encrusted on.
20170219_185928.png
 
OP
OP
SBlisters

SBlisters

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
144
Reaction score
119
Location
Aurora, IL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
UPDATE: I attempted to draw the worm out with some Rod's & saw 2 more worms in this same rock! 1 is a Bristle worm, and the other is another unknown one! This new unknown is a segmented, legged worm with a white band near its head and striped tentacular cirri. It's kind of a ruddy color in the lights. Terrible pics of it below. WHAT IS UP WITH THIS ROCK? There is also a hitchhiker crab in there too!
20170219_212925.jpeg
20170219_212933.jpeg
20170219_212850.jpeg
20170219_212822.jpeg
20170219_212814.jpeg
 
OP
OP
SBlisters

SBlisters

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
144
Reaction score
119
Location
Aurora, IL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Could you be seeing one arm of a brittle or serpent starfish?

663ea5947ab4b9c3ceb0e120153f1af6.jpg
If I hadn't seen the head, I'd have gone with a solid maybe. Since I did, I know that it has "feelers" coming of it like a worm, not like the tip of a serpent star or brittle star (BTW, I have a brittle star in my tank too, but that's on purpose).
 

Lionfish Lair

Renee
View Badges
Joined
Jan 29, 2012
Messages
8,812
Reaction score
8,299
Location
California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
That could be a eunice by the white collar I see.
 
OP
OP
SBlisters

SBlisters

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
144
Reaction score
119
Location
Aurora, IL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If I can get a picture of the darn thing, I'll post it. I've only got the one tank, so I can't isolate the rock. I could pull it out of the tank, but it's covered with my green star polyp.
 
OP
OP
SBlisters

SBlisters

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
144
Reaction score
119
Location
Aurora, IL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
phylum nemertea also known as ribbon worm is a bad guy. When It bite fish or inverts it releases a neurotoxin. You need to get rid of it.
At this point, I don't think it's a ribbon worm. I think people are more looking at the picture (not a pic of what I actually saw) vs the description I typed. The pic was just a reference because it had the correct coloring, with a smooth body.
I'm not keen on having the eunicid in the tank though, or the crab or bristle worm that are also living in that rock though.
 
OP
OP
SBlisters

SBlisters

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
144
Reaction score
119
Location
Aurora, IL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If I take a large Tupperware and an air stone, is it possible to pull this long enough to force out the hitchhikers without killing the green star polyp?
 

Jd120988

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 13, 2016
Messages
809
Reaction score
486
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Nuke the rock and grab new green star polyps, not worth taking the chance with that eunicid. I'd personally light the rock on fire with a flamethrower to get rid of the eunicid. U could also frag the green star polyp and have it over run your tank in a month from now.
 

TOP 10 Trending Threads

WHAT AMOUNT OF LIVE ROCK AND SAND SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED FOR OPTIMAL BIODIVERSITY/FILTRATION?

  • 100% live rock + bagged sand

    Votes: 38 26.6%
  • 100% dry rock + 100% live sand

    Votes: 48 33.6%
  • 50/50 live/dry rock, 50/50 live/bagged sand

    Votes: 32 22.4%
  • 75% live rock, 25% live sand

    Votes: 15 10.5%
  • 25% live rock, 75% live sand

    Votes: 10 7.0%
Back
Top