Bristle Worms UPDATED W/ Picture

[cj10488]

How big can these things get.. I have been trying for some time in catching my pistol shimp and just a few ago there was a Extremely large brissle worm going into the trap.. I am talking 1/2" wide and at least 4" long.. It happens to live under the same large rock that the pistol lives under 20+# of LR.. If and when I catch either or I will be posting pictures but This worm was extremely big to the point my wife said "Are you Sure its not some kind of Water Snake"

Tia,
James

 

[reefrunner69]

I am talking 1/2" wide and at least 4" long..

They get way bigger than that, at least some species do

 

[cj10488]

It was an extremely cool thing to see... If I happen to catch this thing what should I do with it.. BTW i think i am going to have one of the pistols by tomorrow morning... I cant wait.. I have finally been able to see the entire srimp.. about 3-4" long not including the tents.. very awesome looking..

James

 

[wseaton]

I've seen bristle worms the size of night crawlers in my tanks. The are claimed to be benign, but I had one do a lot of damage to a sebae anemone that drifed underneath it's rock one night.

My coral banded shrimp will catch and eat them.

 

[steve5520]

Have you actually seen the coral banded shrimp eat them? I bought one, hoping it would start to clean out some of the bristle worms, but I've yet to see the shrimp eat one.

I also have a Fridmani Pseudochromis, which I read is supposed to eat bristle worms. The fish and shrimp have been in the tank for a few months now and I really can't see the worm population going down. I've got some pretty good size ones, but I gave up worrying about them a long time ago. They never seem to hurt much, they just all come out of the rocks at feeding time.

 

[jamal-188]

I've seen my peppermint shrimp eat bristle worms before.

 

[snapcrackler]

Apparently some BW's have visible pincers and some do not, the kind that DO have pincers are the kind that you don't want to have around, as advised by my LFS guy. The pincerless kind are keepers.

Just an observation, any thoughts on this?


Oh PS in regards to shrimp that eat BW's, LFS guy told me that their arrow crabs will really go after those things.

 

[notmuffy]

I am talking 1/2" wide and at least 4" long..

They get way bigger than that, at least some species do

8O Wow, mine is so tiny (well I only ever see 1 at a time). I didn't realize they got that big. Can't wait to see him (them?) grow!

 

[cj10488]

So I went and tore apart the tank trying to get a dead Cleaner Shrimp out of there that died for some reason and decided to try and get the pistol shrimp and my monster bristle worm out.. Well I didnt get the pistol shrimp but I did get the Worm.. It is about 15" in length not stretched out.. Here is an Attached Pic.

James

 

[reefrunner69]

That is one hell of a bristle worm!!!!!!!! 8O 8O 8O 8O

 

[jackdp]

15"....try frying it up with some butter and garlic...bristleworm scampi style...you could submit it to Red Lobster

 

[jamal-188]

WOW 8O Thanks insane!!!

 

[cj10488]

Your telling me... When it walks across my 29g tank it is over half the tank... When they say that they can get up to 24" stretched out I believe this one surpasses that my a few inches.. What should I do with him.. With this size could he have killed my clam???

TIA,
James

 

[wseaton]

Man, better start charging that sea monster some rent.

Have you actually seen the coral banded shrimp eat them

Yep, and big suckers to. Strutting around the tank with a bristle worm firmly snagged in his front pinchers, and lookin' real proud while dining away. He catches about two a month that I can see. I never thought CB shrimp were good for anything other than look fierce, but mine earns his rent.

 

[bizzybeas]

eeekkk! That is one ugly worm!

 

[Porksound]

a few years ago I broke down an 80 gal and as I pulled a big chunk of rock out a bristle worm at least that long slithered out of it!!!! Mine was really thin though (like 1/8 inch), so he might have been stretched all the way out...

Funniest thing was I had NO idea I had him until that day... a little unnerving to have to pull them out at that size... I wonder, what do they EAT?!!!!

p

 

[possum]

whatever they eat they must be getting plenty of it!!!! 8O 8O

 

[silverain420]

Mine seem to come out and eat anything left on the sandbed. I had some Krill that was too big for my fish and it fell to the bottom. I was thinking about pulling it out and then watched a monstrous bristle worm come out and grab it. Wrapped his whole mouth around the chunk!

 

[ReefLady]

Ack! Well, most ppl know I like my bristleworms, but even I would remove that from my tank.

ewwww!

 

[notmuffy]

Ack! Well, most ppl know I like my bristleworms, but even I would remove that from my tank.

ewwww!

Not me! I'm not going NEAR that thing

THey sure do grow 'em big in Oregon....