worm or starfish???

[clowninround]

I have in my tank a worm like thing that is VERY VERY tiny with really long arms??? It has what looks like five long rusty or red colored and white (arms?) It looks like 5 individual stringy worms attached together. the arms long too long for a starfish and it can retract them. I saw short white pieces moving towards the center on almost all of them, whatever they were, they were seperate from it (food?). Can't take a pic, too thin for my camara to capture. Any ideas?

 

[ReefLady]

Spaghetti worm (Terebellid sp.).

You may only see the extended tenticles, but here's a link to a pic of what the whole thing looks like:

http://depts.washington.edu/fhl/zoo432/falsebay/fbspecies/terebellid.jpg

Check this link, and about 2/3 of the way down, you'll find info. on Terebellids (Terebellidae):

>Reefkeeper's Guide to Invertebrate Zoology: Part 10: Sedentary Polychaetes, Con't.<


HTH,

 

[Fishboy-from-NY]

nasty critter

 

[MT79]

They are actually beneficial filter feeders.

 

[clowninround]

thank you!

 

[ReefLady]

They are actually beneficial filter feeders.

Yep, totally harmless - and good.

You're welcome.

 

[Brad]

Yup, spaghetti worms. I can't imagine why Fishboy would say they are nasty critters. :?

You've already noticed that they transport stuff along the arms toward their centre...after a while you'll see them shoot all the stuff outward in a jet of slime.

One of the many, many interesting creatures you get on good LR.