Weird worm wht is this

[by1123]

Saw this worm like thing in my live rock
What is it and is it safe?

[by1123]

It is orange with like centipede legs about 2" long

[by1123]

Seems like there are a few in just one of my live rocks
We want to start a reef tank and are letting out tank cycle
For a few weeks before we add to its I want to make sure this
Thing won't hurt anything please any advice is appreciated we are novice
Tank starters we have lost all out aggressive fish and have decided to
Start a reef set up instead and have pretty fish we want to do it right
And have a safe tank with no harmless critters

[AquaRick]

Pictures would help, but odds are it's a bristleworm. They're generally reef safe, but the bigger ones tend to get a bit on the nasty side. Up to you if you want to remove them.

[ezy33]

Look up bristle worm.

[by1123]

Thanks a bunch
When you say on the nasty side what do you
Mean and just how big can they get?

[ezy33]

Depending on the species 3 inches to 9 feet. A common one will reach almost 1 foot.

[by1123]

Are they safe with coral and anenomie's
I read about them online returning says get wrasse
And some shrimp to maintain the population I this true?

[bribo12]

They are harmless. Just don't over feed and they won't get huge. No bristleworm gets 9 feet. Those are the eunicid worms which are predators but what you described is a bristleworm

[ezy33]

There's a small chance it's a Fire Worm. They can inflect a painful sting. http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/a...zo2010-1-5.jpg

[bribo12]

Originally Posted by ezy33

There's a small chance it's a Fire Worm. They can inflect a painful sting. http://i980.photobucket.com/albums/a...zo2010-1-5.jpg

Bristle worms and fireworms are one in the same. They're all just types of polychaete worms that have sharp setae all over their body. Touching any type of bristleworm hurts

[bribo12]

http://www.azfishkeeping.com/content.php?c_id=58
Hermodice carunculata is the coral eating fireworm which is the only "bristleworm" that preys on coral and is barely seen in the aquarium

[ezy33]

Polychaetes are segmented worms, generally less than 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in length, although ranging at the extremes from 1 millimetre (0.039 in) to 3 metres (9.8 ft). They can sometimes be brightly coloured, and may be iridescent or even luminescent. Each segment bears a pair of paddle-like and highly vascularized parapodia, which are used for movement and, in many species, act as the worm's primary respiratory surfaces. Bundles of bristles, called setae, project from the parapodia.[4]

[bribo12]

Originally Posted by ezy33

Polychaetes are segmented worms, generally less than 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in length, although ranging at the extremes from 1 millimetre (0.039 in) to 3 metres (9.8 ft). They can sometimes be brightly coloured, and may be iridescent or even luminescent. Each segment bears a pair of paddle-like and highly vascularized parapodia, which are used for movement and, in many species, act as the worm's primary respiratory surfaces. Bundles of bristles, called setae, project from the parapodia.[4]

No aquarium "bristleworm" as hobbyists refer to the common red polychaete found in aquariums gets that huge. I understand completely how polychaetes are classified and what you referred to earlier were generalized aquarium bristleworms. Thank you for copying wikipedia as well. I already discussed setae on "bristleworms." Polychaetes are so diverse, since fan worms are also polychaetes I guess they're now bristleworms too by your definition. Just making a point that we should be exact as possible when referring to these animals as there is much confusion via common names.

[alco1]

Originally Posted by bribo12

No aquarium "bristleworm" as hobbyists refer to the common red polychaete found in aquariums gets that huge. I understand completely how polychaetes are classified and what you referred to earlier were generalized aquarium bristleworms. Thank you for copying wikipedia as well. I already discussed setae on "bristleworms." Polychaetes are so diverse, since fan worms are also polychaetes I guess they're now bristleworms too by your definition. Just making a point that we should be exact as possible when referring to these animals as there is much confusion via common names.

Oh Snap!!

[bribo12]

Originally Posted by alco1

Oh Snap!!

Lol it's just bristleworm is kinda a hobbyist term to describe a single group of polychaete worms that are red and have sharp setae. There is really no one worm known as a "bristleworm". Polychaetes are so diverse and to say bristleworms get up to 9 feet will scare people into giving "bristleworms" a worse rep then they already have. As of my knowledge Only the eunicid worms aka "bobbit worms" can get that large and they're not usually found in our tanks either.

[alco1]

lol a 9 ft 'bristleworm' may be a bit of an exaggeration.... imagine that thing lurking out of your fishtank walking around your house.

[ezy33]

9 foot in the wild maybe 6 foot in captivity!

[mr_X]

That is a Eunicid worm. I think a good rule of thumb would be to see if you can see eyes and a disctinct mouth or pincers. If so, 9 times out of 10 this worm is a predator. the common bristle worms don't have much difference between the head and the tail to the naked eye.

[bribo12]

Originally Posted by ezy33

Attachment 219337
9 foot in the wild maybe 6 foot in captivity!

Man I wouldn't want that beast in my tank! That thing could eat a small child haha jk. But yes that is a eunicid