Mr. Microscope Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Hello All, I came back to my tank this morning and found this moving around. It goes very slow and was easy to catch. It looks flat, blackish, and has these red/orange spots. Also, it's got spikes! I've got it in a small container that I use for feeding the tank. Right now the container is floating the in the tank to maintain temp. What do you think it is? Should I keep it? Link to comment
andrewkw Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 When in doubt throw it out! Hard to tell from the pics but the head kinda looks like a Eunicid. However since it was easy to catch its probably something else, but still why take the chance. Link to comment
GokesReef Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Looks like a standard bristle worm to me.. but without a microscope (haaa!), it's hard to tell. I wouldn't sweat it. Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted January 3, 2011 Author Share Posted January 3, 2011 Looks like a standard bristle worm to me.. but without a microscope (haaa!), it's hard to tell. I wouldn't sweat it. Are bristle worms were flat? This thing is wide and maybe inch long. Link to comment
andrewkw Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 It's not the standard bristle worm. It may be another harmless variant but it looks different. Mr. Microscope you must have regular bristleworms in your tank too to compare to? Link to comment
GokesReef Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 My bristles are mostly flat and vary in color.. an inch seems short, though, if it can't extend further. Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted January 3, 2011 Author Share Posted January 3, 2011 It's not the standard bristle worm. It may be another harmless variant but it looks different. Mr. Microscope you must have regular bristleworms in your tank too to compare to? Yeah, I've had plenty. Mostly they look spiky and round with orange/red heads. I've never seen anything like this before. It seems to move as slowly as a bristleworm. How fast do fireworms move? Link to comment
rbengal Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Looks like a scale worm to me! Lepidonotus squamatus maybe. They look like bristleworms, but are flat and have scales - you can tell the species by the amount of scales they have. We see them a lot up here in the field, but I'm not sure how it acts in an aquarium. Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted January 3, 2011 Author Share Posted January 3, 2011 Looks like a scale worm to me! Lepidonotus squamatus maybe. They look like bristleworms, but are flat and have scales - you can tell the species by the amount of scales they have. We see them a lot up here in the field, but I'm not sure how it acts in an aquarium. Okay. So, I just looked at it under the microscope. Here is a quick sketch I made. You're right! It does have scales. I counted 11 sets of 2. Does that help? Do you know if scale worms are scavengers, coral eaters, etc? Edit: After a little research, it looks like these guys are predators. Hmm..trying to find out what they eat. Link to comment
rbengal Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 As far as I know, they are omniovores, eating anything from algae and small crustaceans like copepods, caprellids (skeleton shrimp), to bryozoans and hydroids. There's nothing I've read about them eating corals, but we don't really have many corals up where I am either so if you want to keep it, keep an eye on it. They are pretty cool little things though. Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted January 3, 2011 Author Share Posted January 3, 2011 Thanks! I decided to save it. I'll be watching. Link to comment
lakshwadeep Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 +1 to scale worm http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchworms.html Link to comment
.Newman. Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 yup the scaled polychaete. I'm guessing that the scales help armor the animal, how does it feel? tough? Its a very interesting animal to see in a pico, I have not seen one in mine yet, heck I've never seen one in real life yet either, just read about them Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 +1 to scale wormhttp://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchworms.html Love that resource. Forgot about it. Thanks! yup the scaled polychaete. I'm guessing that the scales help armor the animal, how does it feel? tough? Its a very interesting animal to see in a pico, I have not seen one in mine yet, heck I've never seen one in real life yet either, just read about them Seemed pretty well armored. 'Wouldn't want to touch that thing. Link to comment
Formula462 Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Judging from your illustration it appears to be the ever-illusive Titty Worm, or Mammaramis Squigglotus. Link to comment
rbengal Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Seemed pretty well armored. 'Wouldn't want to touch that thing. I've touched them before...maybe on purpose.. The scales actually come off really easily like if you pick them up with forceps too forcefully (they're worms and hard to hold on to ). Most of the time it's hard to identify the species because many scales are missing. Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted January 4, 2011 Author Share Posted January 4, 2011 I've touched them before...maybe on purpose.. The scales actually come off really easily like if you pick them up with forceps too forcefully (they're worms and hard to hold on to ). Most of the time it's hard to identify the species because many scales are missing. Did you get stung? Mine has spikes. I just picked mine up with a stick. Nothing fell off unless it did in the tank. Judging from your illustration it appears to be the ever-illusive Titty Worm, or Mammaramis Squigglotus. Say what??! Is that real or a joke? LOL! I'm at work and afraid to google it. Link to comment
rbengal Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I didn't get stung and as far as I know they don't sting. He might bite you though I guess if you got a finger too close to his mouth Are you sure the spikes aren't just his parapodia? Link to comment
saralear Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Judging from your illustration it appears to be the ever-illusive Titty Worm, or Mammaramis Squigglotus. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA I'm at work and read this, but knew I didn't need to google it, because that's what it looked like to me too!!! LOL! Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.