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Helfrichs Chick

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Could be, I guess. I did find one or two pics on the Googles that looked nothing like the typical peanut worm, and had a mouth like this guy. Anyway, I'll continue to keep an eye on him, and hope that he comes out for a better photo session!

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Apparently he came out to play again this morning, and my wife managed to get this pic... not the greatest, but you can see the mouth reasonably clearly... he's hanging out towards the top of the rocks, in the middle of the photo and slightly to the left.

 

21082178993_c901c23404_k.jpgworm1 by Phil Memmer, on Flickr

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Apparently he came out to play again this morning, and my wife managed to get this pic... not the greatest, but you can see the mouth reasonably clearly... he's hanging out towards the top of the rocks, in the middle of the photo and slightly to the left.

 

21082178993_c901c23404_k.jpgworm1 by Phil Memmer, on Flickr

hmmmmgh, you really did get a weirdo in the tank. I want you to a little something, search up Pectinariidae and look only at the mouthparts, ignore the rest of the worm and tell me is it like that?

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Very much like that. But the worm itself doesn't have any kind of shell like that, and right now seems to be completely content hanging out *on top* of a rock.. that's the weirdest thing right now. I've never seen a worm like this who wanted to hang out in the daylight, in the open... except for things like feather dusters. But the worm itself looks much more like a bald bristle-worm. Also, my wife finally did a touch-test... nothing slimy about him. To quote, "if I hadn't been looking at it, I wouldn't have known I was touching much of anything."

 

Damn, I love uncured live rock... it's just the greatest. Not being sarcastic! This batch has had this guy, and tons of tunicates, sponges, etc... more coming out every day. For a small tank like this, where the water changes are easy, it's so much fun to soft-cycle and watch... and my kids are having a blast as well. I've started three 10-12g tanks like this, and wouldn't do it any other way.

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If I'm not mistaken, you have a polychaete, in the order Terebellida, and it probably is in the family Flabelligeridae ( if not this its either a new family, some terribly unknown family, or an exceptional Pectinariidae who doesn't live in a tube) you won't find a whole lot of information on this extremely diverse family of worms, which is unfortunate. Here are my lines of evidence, I seen what looked like very small parapodia on the sides which some in Terebellida do demonstrate, you said of the retractable whiskery mouthpiece which isn't particularly common in any worm groups, your newest picture showed distinctly straight and paired hair appendages, which gave me the lead to my new conclusion. Also the touch test proved something else, the fact there was no sticky feeling eliminated any animal with hook shaped spicules like a sea cucumber, also the animal has a really soft body. You have acquired an amazing hitchhiker that is potentially unknown to science.

Uncured rock is the best rock and it gives an amazing view of the oceans diversity. I also think that when you get it from the ocean, you get a better array of microbes that can benefit the aquarium ecosystem.

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I think that's him! I googled that order and family, and came up with some pics that for the first time look reasonably like this guy, though the coloration of mine is nicer (if I say so myself). One description also had the following sentence, which seems to match my little friend: "All flabelligerids appear to be surface deposit feeders." Which might explain why this guy seems to like to be in the open.

 

Two other tidbits of information:

 

1. He apparently either isn't hungry, or doesn't like shrimp, or isn't carnivorous. Tried to feed him some shrimp, and he displayed no interest at all.

 

2. He likes to dance:

 

21529923869_ca95a57a66_b.jpgdancing worm by Phil Memmer, on Flickr

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  • 2 weeks later...

Can anyone please tell me what this is? And is it harmful? We want to start putting fish in the tank within the next couple of weeks

I know it's a polyp, maybe a sort of corallimorph?

Can you see the mouth?

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I know it's a polyp, maybe a sort of corallimorph?

Can you see the mouth?

No I can't see the mouth it's hidden down in the rock. This pic is actually the best I have ever been able to see it.

No I can't see the mouth it's hidden down in the rock. This pic is actually the best I have ever been able to see it.

Is it safe? This is our first saltwater tank.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Can anyone please tell me what this is? And is it harmful? We want to start putting fish in the tank within the next couple of weeks

That is a ball anemone (not balltip)and it stings like hell but it likes the dark so it May not be a problem.

 

So can you tell me if this is safe in my clam tank?

image.jpg2_zpscitd7sb3.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

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