GaminKWB Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 So, my Green Daisy Polyps had been closed up for the better part of two days. It is/was a small frag of about 8 or so. I though my Emerald Crab may have gone rogue. Tonight I walked by and noticed something popping out of a small crack in the frag. It looked like a fire worm to me so I pulled the frag out and cracked it apart looking for him. Upon further inspection is looks like almost all of the polyp heads are completely missing. I may have saved one, but I don't know. Here he is (links to full size) Link to comment
Bongo Shrimp Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Looks like just a bristle worm. Link to comment
GaminKWB Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 It was only about the width of my pinkie, and he was feeding off the frag with the missing Daisy Polyps. You can see through him and can see hes pretty full (about 1/2 his body has waste in it). That and he was scouring the frag from his hiding spot has me pretty determined he ate the Daisies. I'm pretty bummed too. Either way this guy is gone. I have other bristles that look completely different and I have a positive ID on. This guy was pretty small and may not have developed his full coloring. If it was a bad id, then oh well. Link to comment
Bongo Shrimp Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Brisle Worms don't eat zoas they eat dead matter. It was probably eating the dead polyps. Plus true fireworms are much larger and a different color. The pink and purple coloration with the white spikes is a dead giveaway to the common bristle worm. Fireworms are never pink and purple see through like that. Link to comment
GaminKWB Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 Thanks for the info. I'll keep it in mind if I spot any more (or anything else). Link to comment
Bongo Shrimp Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 This is a fire worm. Note the green color along with the orange around the edges. Orange = Fire http://www.reeflex.net/tiere/950_Hermodice_carunculata.htm Link to comment
lakshwadeep Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Actually, it is both a bristle worm (order Polychaeta) and a fire worm (family Amphinomidae). The vast majority of fire worms are harmless scavengers. Hermodice carunculata is the major exception. To see similar harmless fire worms, search for pics of the genera Eurythoe, Pareurythoe, and Linopherus. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/rs/ Link to comment
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