Quick I'm scared

[POLARBEAR0871]

Ok so last night I turned the tank lights off and about 10-20 minutes later I saw this string like thing come out of a piece of rock. It's not one of those dumb worms it was orange moved weirdly and was quick to get back into the rock. I have the rock in a bucket with water but I haven't seen it since last night and have never seen it before... Also what is this slime stuff on my rock I found it last night it seemed to have also tried wrapping a piece of shrimp in something I can't even describe. Sorry for the fuzzy picture my iPod is terrible...

 

[somethingsfishy]

Could it be a bristle worm? That's a pretty bad pic. Lol.

 

[POLARBEAR0871]

Yes I know I'm not sure it was a brownish-burnt orange color it was sort of long and It looked like it had a ton of legs I'm just hoping its bot that one worm I can't remember it's name grrr..

 

[somethingsfishy]

Was it dark colored with a redish end?

 

[POLARBEAR0871]

No it was a sort of light brown to a burnt orange but I didn't see all of it but going by how light it was it had to have been the entire body I know Euclid worms are bad but are bristle worms bad or ok

 

[bribo12]

It isn't a eunicid, they're more rainbow colored. Did it have actual eyes?

 

[POLARBEAR0871]

Not sure like I said it was quick to get back into the rock I'm guessing it was a bristle worm mainly because the colors in seeing on google are matching what I saw

 

[mr_X]

Very fast you say? Clear mucous?
oenone fulgida- A sessile invert predator. Clams, snails, and other slow movers are it's targets, but it can be drawn out with food.

here is one I had caught a few years back-

And another in my refugium (notice the head with eyes...not like the others)-

 

[POLARBEAR0871]

It looks soooo fuzzy and that's actually really close to what it looked like now that I see what the eyes look like it did have those that's a really cool worm

 

[POLARBEAR0871]

Will it be ok in my tank I have some dwarf blue legged crabs

 

[POLARBEAR0871]

Why haven't I ever seen it before I've had live rock for months

 

[mr_X]

I have seen new things pop up in tanks years later. I don't think this worm can catch hermit crabs, but it will kill any snails and clams, if this is indeed the worm you have.

 

[POLARBEAR0871]

I think it is I haven't seen it again I wonder if that's how my snail died

 

[mr_X]

If this is your worm, it spews a mucous around the snail and smothers it, then burrows through the shell and eats it from the inside out. Look around for a clear mucous. You'll be able to see it because it will have little particles caught in it that jiggle in the current.

 

[POLARBEAR0871]

Yeah I found some the other night that's what's in the picture but the picture is terrible and now one of my crabs use the shell haha