How big do peanut worms get?

[jonboyb]

Had one since I started my tank that I have seen a few times. My wife called me to the tank today screaming WTH is that! At least 18"-20" VISABLE. No idea how much was still hidden. Awesome Something else to gross my wife out...LOL.

Seriously though, how big can they get?

 

[newfound77951]

WOW! That is really cool!

How's this: These worms can vary in size from 2 mm (1/8 in.) up to 50 cm (19.5 in.) long. Peanut worms burrow into sand and mud, or live in rocky crevices or empty snail shells. Tentacles at the end of their body pick up minute plants and detritus (dead organic matter), which they ingest. These worms have a world-wide distribution, mostly in the intertidal zone, but they can extend to the lowest depths of the ocean.

So looks like yours is pretty darn big for a peanut worm.

From: Sea Worms: Natural History Notebooks online from the Canadian Museum of Nature

 

[jonboyb]

Sounds like I need to call Guiness Time to update their max size based on the one I have. Ironically, it's in a teeny 28 gallon tank. I took several pics but haven't downloaded them. Had to take several from different angles to get all of him, and then again I couldn't see where he started at. Most of the time when I find him, he's mostly retracted into a shorter stubby worm, today he was definately stretching his "legs".

 

[newfound77951]

Pics pics pics! I can't wait to see this critter!