What the @#$# is this!?

[7Enigma]

So after finding what I thought to be hydra on my glass walls of the QT tank, I decided to look at my main planted tank for hydra. None were found, though as I was getting ready to walk away my eyes spotted this thing. It's about 1/4-1/2" long, and moves like a worm. Freaked me out pretty good. Any cause for concern?

My big problem is that I always have small scratches and cuts on my hands (from work and my cats), I don't want anything to start the wiggling inside of me! 8O

 

[fish_4_all]

Looks like a nematode, should be safe but I don't know of any nematodes that are human parasites. Flatworms are but this definately, IMHO, is not a flatworm. You probably have a lot of them but haven't seen them til now. If I really look at my tank I can see them once in a while. Under a magnifying glass, the mulm from the substrate is crawling with them but much smaller, 1/16-1/32 long at most.

 

[Jchillin]

I'm thinking nematode as well. Harmless to humans IIRC.

 

[Zezmo]

This qualifies as a nightmare hitchiker

Looks like your basic nematode. They come in all sizes. Most look just like an earthworm. It does appear to have a sucker type head, but that just may be the photo.

 

[7Enigma]

Nope the photo is accurate. I spent 10minutes and all different types of macro/ shutter speeds/flashes to get a good shot of this bugger. It was moving so fast for its size (probably 1 body length every 30 seconds) that its a pain using macro to keep it in the shot and still in focus. It did indeed have that large "sucker" type bulb at the front of its body. I assume the front since that's the direction it was always moving. Oh and it was white in color.

 

[Zezmo]

The sucker head may mean it is some type of leech, or flatworm. Unless you actually see one attacking a fish it is probably harmless. From what I have read, if it is something that attacks mammals (humans) you most likely would get it by injesting it. So wash your hands real good before you eat.
It seems if it wiggles back and forth, it is probably a nematode, if it crawls along it may be an oligochaete type worm, or even a leech.

Oligochaete:

http://www.micrographia.com/specbiol/helmint/annelhom/olig0100/oligoc01.htm

I found this interesting quote about nematodes....

"The nematodes are (along with copepod crustaceans) frequently described as "probably the most numerous animals on Earth". Some 80,000 species are described in the literature; possibly a million exist. They live in the soil, in the oceans and fresh water, and are found as internal parasites of most animals and many plants.

It has also been said that if the animals of the world (apart from nematodes) were to dematerialize, their ghostly forms would be recognizable by the populations of nematodes which inhabit their tissues. There are certainly regions of the world where this would be true."


credtis:
http://www.micrographia.com/specbiol/helmint/nematod/nema0100.htm

 

[Devilishturtles]

Looks like a species of leech to me too. I'd remove it, just to be safe.

 

[7Enigma]

Well too late for removal now. I took the picture uploaded it to photolocker, posted this thread, and when I went back to find it, I couldn't.... I was going to smoosh it against the side of the tank too...

I also just spotted a much smaller one in my QT tank crawling around on the glass. This one couldn't be more than a 1/8", but looked identical to the much larger one in my main tank. I watched it for about 5min hoping to see it go after a hydra or do something interesting, but no luck, it just kept slowly crawling around the tank. I'm wondering if the attached form is some early stage, and the free crawling is a later stage, or if these are in fact 2 different species.

Still not too happy about having to do water changes in the near future.