What the hell is this ????

[Enki]

Do some aquarium plants come from Hawaii? Nereididae is a polychaete that thrives in fresh/brackish water and is from there. There are freshwater species in Siberia, SE Asia and North America from what I have seen on Google. Stick it in a baggie and take it to your local university. I best somebody will be fascinated

Big paper here about them... http://biodiversity.uno.edu/~worms/docs/namanereid.html

 

[grimlock3000]

Sweet Jesus, I would freak out if I found that in my tank!

 

[alarmguy66]

Good pic reef. Thats the one I am familiar with as a blood worm. I think that the 4" one he has is just a baby blood worm, as they get LOTS bigger than that.

 

[Sati]

Holy God... The Van Morrison song "Drumshanbo Hustle" comes to mind when he's singing about puking up your guts :|

I think hitchhiker's are cool, but that's NASTY. It reminds me of this show I saw on Discovery about parasites. This masseuse felt something in her panties and later went to the bathroom... it all ends very badly *Hork*

 

[vega]

centipede?

 

[An t-iasg]

Wow...when will I learn my lesson about looking at pictures of hitchhikers before bed??? Nightmares!!

What did you decide to do with it? I agree with LondonGman -- it is not on the invited guest list, so it gets bounced! I also agree with Enki -- your local university will find it fascinating!

 

[madasafish]

Y'never know. Give it its own tank and see what happens... It might be a cool experiment for *you* to carry out. Show those university hot-shots who's the real empiricist!

After all, with asexual reproduction in inverts, the possibilities are endless! You could have dozens or hundreds of these... squiggly, hideous, scary things. Maybe some ppl would even want them for their tanks!? (not me... but I know of collectors of the wierd and, um, wonderful).

Does this creature fit into the "All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small" hymn? I'd tend to say no...

 

[sumphead]

It did more than likely come in with one of the plants root systems. I am sure it is harmlessto your fishes none the less. I agree that it should be bounced as an unwelcomed visitor. All of these aquatic worms especially in freshwater are hard if not near impossible to ID. The satea or legs make it even harder to ID. Either way you look at it. It's just a worm of some kind. Personally, I would keep it. But I am weird! I dually believe it is a bloodworm along with alarmguy. A local Uni could concur or not. Good luck.

R-

 

[Neuve]

Four inches... Cool, i would spend my time looking for some fish that could eat it. Even if it was a piranha or something like that...
Its cool, maybe you could even build a cave for it or something...

Id give a shot to what madasafish sez... If not, donate it to a local Uni or something, it shure would be interesting to study your critter.

 

[Kim Kipper]

Could not bring myself to kill it so I put it back in the tank lst night. Angel fish almost had it but it made it to the botom of the tank and prompty hid under some driftwood.

Before putting it back I emptied the water and put it on a piece of paper. It seemed to do fine out of water. I'm pretty ure those legs are legs. They move in waves like a centipeded. It was able to raise it's head/body to look around.

Took some more pics which I will post later. Even some video. Can I post video here ?

Has two tiny plack eyes at the front but no visible mouth parts.

Seemed happier in water. Swims quite well by wriggling.

Maybe I'll dig him up next month for a reunion.

I think I'll call it Charles. Or maybe just HRH.

 

[Kim Kipper]

Guppylove, I was told by an LFS that European legistlation had banned the sale of live foods. I've never seen live food since at any LFS or chain.

I'd love to get some. Have been looking into Brine shrimp hatchery to do t myself.

Where do get yours and what do you get ?

 

[Madame_X]

Could not bring myself to kill it so I put it back in the tank lst night.

Kim, you're a braver soul than I! 8O

I've found a coupla disturbing wriggly things in my tank recently and I promptly rushed them to the toilet.

I know we're trying to simulate the complete eco-system with planted tanks and all but I gotta draw the line with the wiggly bugs. They give me the willies!

 

[madasafish]

Kim

I don't believe there is any way of posting vids yet, but I've PMed fishfreek (admin) to check. I'll let you know what he says.

Jonathan

 

[Fishygirly]

I agree!
It's cool, but I have heard of water millipedes, and I think I read they are swallowed by fish, the worm still being alive, lays eggs and dies. So when the fish opens its gob the eggs are realesed![I think!]

 

[Fruitbat]

Looks to me like a freshwater polychaete worm of some sort...definitely not a freshwater centipede or millipede. I can't tell from the picture...is the body segmented??

 

[Sati]

I would have put it outside to fend for itself

 

[Kim Kipper]

Have not been to this site for a while. Thanks for all the replies.

Guess what - there's more than one. Have seen three seperate ones now. 2 much smaller maybe 1.5 inches.

Don't seem to be doing any harm

 

[Menagerie]

Did you ever figure out what it is? The last time I had an odd looking aquatic creature, I put it in a jar and brought it to the LFS. (Admittedly, it was a catfish I had bought at a chain pet store, but could not identify and the LFS had never seen one like it!)

 

[Guest]

I'm in total agreement with alarmguy, looks just like the bloodworms I buy to go fishing with. As bait, they work great, but I do NOT want that in any of my tanks. Kim Kipper, you're a braver soul than me!

 

[lyquidphyre]

One of the big differences between a millipede and centipede is a centipede is more dangerous than a millipede. (one if carnivouris, the other is a herbavore).

If I remember correctly... a centipide has one pair of legs per body section while a millipede has two pair of legs per body section. Also, the centipede has a flatter body and the millipede a rounder one.

Ha, I never thought I would apply that Bio Lab info in real life

That looks definately like a centipede- I wouldn't let it near anything living.
I think it would be neat, like others have said, to keep it in its own little tank.