View Full Version : My 2 foot Eunicid Worm
Here's my 2 foot Eunicid Worm. Finally decided to take out my liverock to catch the bugger. Anyone want it for their tank? :) I think it preys on corals and small sleepy fish. :)
http://www.hyperdream.com/2009/reef/eunicidworm/img_1923_std.jpg
http://www.hyperdream.com/2009/reef/eunicidworm/img_1924_std.jpg
http://www.hyperdream.com/2009/reef/eunicidworm/img_1942_std.jpg
http://www.hyperdream.com/2009/reef/eunicidworm/img_1939_std.jpg
http://www.hyperdream.com/2009/reef/eunicidworm/
spoot
03-23-2009, 11:36 AM
Wow, what a beast!
He is lovely!?#* but I think I will pass, oh good luck! Yuck!
urbanhellfire
03-23-2009, 02:50 PM
ummmmm.... ya.
How many pairs of gloves did you have on?
It's head is beautiful and thats all I can say about that thing :spider:
The real creepy part of this is all the smaller things I have had in my tank and the ones
not so small that have completely vanished over the years.......... could it be well you
get my drift. Denial is my only defense. Blah, I have four pairs of gloves and from now on
I am wearing all of them at once.
Those things freak me the hell out. I'm a big guy and I love bugs and spiders and good ole fashion Hollywood gore but something about Euncid worms give me the big willies.
Chowder
03-23-2009, 03:45 PM
I heard there good eating too.
Drock169
03-23-2009, 03:49 PM
good job sam,
now you can start to stock your tank again, assuming that was the only one in there.
fkshiu
03-23-2009, 03:52 PM
Keep it in a species tank. I know untamed kept one like that for a long time.
Everytime someone pulls out a monster eunicid I think back to Steve Weast's +4 foot monster from www.oregonreef.com.
http://www.hyperdream.com/2009/reef/eunicidworm/img_1923_std.jpg
I had to do a double take when I first saw this image.. "Why is the worm and smashed rock on his ceiling next to the smoke detector?" Strange how the brain interprets images sometimes.
subman
03-23-2009, 04:00 PM
http://www.hyperdream.com/2009/reef/eunicidworm/img_1923_std.jpg
I had to do a double take when I first saw this image.. "Why is the worm and smashed rock on his ceiling next to the smoke detector?" Strange how the brain interprets images sometimes.
:rofl2: Thats what I saw at first too!
Put it in with a big mantis and watch the battle Royale!
parkinsn
03-23-2009, 04:08 PM
http://www.hyperdream.com/2009/reef/eunicidworm/img_1923_std.jpg
I had to do a double take when I first saw this image.. "Why is the worm and smashed rock on his ceiling next to the smoke detector?" Strange how the brain interprets images sometimes.
Thats what i thought as well :lol: "why is there a smoke detector on the wall by the floor", i then reaalized that it is a jetted tub.
urbanhellfire
03-23-2009, 04:10 PM
Thats what i thought as well :lol: "why is there a smoke detector on the wall by the floor", i then reaalized that it is a jetted tub.
Dont let the wife know you used the tub :wink:
my wife would shoot me dead on the spot.:snipersm:
andestang
03-23-2009, 04:33 PM
what no self portriat of you holding your catch :photo: ? Really, nice catch - how long did that take you ?
brizzo
03-23-2009, 04:40 PM
Those things freak me the hell out. I'm a big guy and I love bugs and spiders and good ole fashion Hollywood gore but something about Euncid worms give me the big willies.
I agree 100% ... Picture #3 gives me the heeby jeebies.
untamed
03-23-2009, 05:14 PM
I think they are interesting detrivores, and much of their bad reputation is just hype related to how they look. Like lots of other things, keeping these depends on what else you want to keep in the tank at the same time.
The largest one I had was probably 2 feet long and was a vegetarian. Another, was maybe 16" and did have a taste for Xenia (which really isn't a problem, and might be a solution for some people). I used to hand feed the smaller one. Sadly, something else in the tank ended up getting the better of the smaller one. I suspect that a fish got the worm, not the other way around.
I find the "eeww" reaction to be very odd. It just isn't in me to look at a critter from that point of view.
I can't say for sure that this worm preyed on small fish at night. However all of my small gobies dissappeared over time. Also, something took a bite out of my baby Hippo tang earlier this year. 20% of its body was completely bitten off overnight and I don't think it was from one of my other fishes. I didn't think the tang would survive but given how healthy it was from the start, it survived and has healed 100%. I wish I had taken pictures to show the before and after of the fish to see how amazing the bite and the recovery was. I don't know what else in the tank could have taken that bite. I have seen this worm carry rocks around its cave like they were nothing so it is not hard to imagine this guy grabbing a sleeping fish. I have also lost all of my ricordia and zoas. I feel more confident about buying new corals and gobies now. If I buy a new Ricordia and zoas and they stop getting eaten, and if I buy new gobies and they stop dissappearing then I'm pointing my finger at the worm.
I think if I saw one in real life and was able to watch it move I would be more comfortable. All I have seen of this creature is the spooky pictures and descriptions of it moving very fast and eating babies.
If I can see it then I can "catalog it" and thus probably not be such a wuss whenever you guys post pictures of this thing.
christyf5
03-23-2009, 06:40 PM
I had one and it made very expensive snacks of all of my zoos and ricordeas. Eventually I hauled them all out to a nano and made short work of removing its lair in which it was also using various SPS frags to shore up its front door. Awesome time had by all upon its removal. I was across the room at the time :razz:
I think if I saw one in real life and was able to watch it move I would be more comfortable. All I have seen of this creature is the spooky pictures and descriptions of it moving very fast and eating babies.
If I can see it then I can "catalog it" and thus probably not be such a wuss whenever you guys post pictures of this thing.
Do you want me to take a video of it moving in a bucket? :) Its very difficult to take video of them in action in a tank because they only come out in the dark.
It does look like an awesome creature to keep in a species only tank. I noticed that it makes a huge amount of waste. My container water is full of crap and is all yellow over a few hours.
untamed
03-23-2009, 06:52 PM
IME, they typically keep their tail ends deep inside their burrows and extend out to grab something to eat. Upon grabbing whatever, they retreat QUICKLY (blink and you'll miss it) into the burrow. I think they would prefer to take items that are small enough to disappear right inside, but you might also see something pinned up against the entrance.
Also, they don't poop in their burrow...Every now and again you will see the forked tail stick out of the burrow for a quick poop! They have no problem doing a U-turn along the length of their body within the confines of their tunnel.
I suppose the point is, you rarely or never get to see the entire worm at once. In fact, to this day, I really don't know how long my largest worm actually was. At least 2 feet, but maybe more.
untamed
03-23-2009, 07:06 PM
I can't say for sure that this worm preyed on small fish at night. However all of my small gobies dissappeared over time. Also, something took a bite out of my baby Hippo tang earlier this year. 20% of its body was completely bitten off overnight and I don't think it was from one of my other fishes. I didn't think the tang would survive but given how healthy it was from the start, it survived and has healed 100%. I wish I had taken pictures to show the before and after of the fish to see how amazing the bite and the recovery was. I don't know what else in the tank could have taken that bite. I have seen this worm carry rocks around its cave like they were nothing so it is not hard to imagine this guy grabbing a sleeping fish. I have also lost all of my ricordia and zoas. I feel more confident about buying new corals and gobies now. If I buy a new Ricordia and zoas and they stop getting eaten, and if I buy new gobies and they stop dissappearing then I'm pointing my finger at the worm.
If you've seen them eat (as I have many times), they have an awesome set of jaws that only become visible just before the grab...but those jaws are kind of like insect mandibles/pincers. They are well designed for "grab and hold", but I just can't see how they would be able to remove any large section of a fish. Certainly not in a single bite. I suppose if it could get a hold of a fish for an extended period of time, it might be able to repeatedly regrasp and leave a good wound when the fish finally escaped.
Shimek has a good article on them at the bottom here:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/rs/index.php
If you've seen them eat (as I have many times), they have an awesome set of jaws that only become visible just before the grab...but those jaws are kind of like insect mandibles/pincers. They are well designed for "grab and hold", but I just can't see how they would be able to remove any large section of a fish. Certainly not in a single bite. I suppose if it could get a hold of a fish for an extended period of time, it might be able to repeatedly regrasp and leave a good wound when the fish finally escaped.
Shimek has a good article on them at the bottom here:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/rs/index.php
Yes, I read that many times and considered putting this quote earlier.
"However, the largest Eunice individuals seen in nature are impressive predators. Individuals have been reported to strike upward from the sediment surface, grab a four-inch long fish swimming above the sediment, pull it under the sediment and presumably snack on it at its leisure."
"They generally appear to be harmless scavengers, however, even I, a self-proclaimed vermophile, would consider them amongst the "usual suspects" if some small fish such as fire fish or small gobies disappeared without a trace."
Mine isn't large enough to grab a 4" fish. But I bet it could grab a dime size hippo or a neon coral goby while they are sleeping. My dime size hippo tang was really tiny and wouldn't take much to take a chunk out of it but I can't see another fish doing that during the night when it occured. I'd like to err on the side of caution. In addition, all of my blue tangs in the past would sleep in the rockwork. This guy sleeps near the surface or near algae but never in the rockwork. Thought that was unusual.
http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_net/0198/0198_2.html
"Eunice aphroditois , a common eunicid polychaete. Although many species are omnivorous scavengers, the majority of species in this family are predatory, and their pharynx (muscular jaw apparatus, described in the original article on polychaetes) is equipped with a complex set of jaw plates capable of crushing small prey. "
justinl
03-23-2009, 09:33 PM
Ive always been a fan of annelid worms myself, but I know they can cause problems. congrats on the removal, hope you got the culprit of your tank troubles. I can't remember where I read it, but I've heard of accounts of these worms striking at fish and chopping them in half from the speed and power of their jaws.
Veng68
03-23-2009, 09:35 PM
Spicy Eunicid Cone ;)
Cheers,
Vic
Thats what i thought as well :lol: "why is there a smoke detector on the wall by the floor", i then reaalized that it is a jetted tub.
Yes, its my bathtub and that's the intake. :)
Ive always been a fan of annelid worms myself, but I know they can cause problems. congrats on the removal, hope you got the culprit of your tank troubles. I can't remember where I read it, but I've heard of accounts of these worms striking at fish and chopping them in half from the speed and power of their jaws.
There are accounts on the internet of them eating small fish, ricordia, and zoas. Here's a video of one being fed a feeder fish. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkUSx6aQGXU&feature=related
It is still in my bucket. Does anyone want it for their tank or sump?
my2rotties
03-24-2009, 04:59 PM
I saw one in the pipes going to my fuge the other day... The lights went on and he was gone... I saw enough to know what it was though. How did you manage to remove this thing? Mine is about 6" long or what I saw of it. I really don't know how I will have the guts to deal with this, but if it is bad for the tank, I better get it out.
no_bs
03-25-2009, 11:42 PM
Beautiful specimen. I would say yes, but our 420g isn't up and running yet. He would be good in my sump(135g). Has anyone heard of them ecsaping?
Scavenger
03-26-2009, 12:28 AM
I heard some clicking from a rock I'm curing in a tote. I figured I had a mantis or pistol shrimp hiding in there. Imagine my surprise to find a 14" eunicid in the trap I placed in the tote! Haven't heard any clicking since. However after a bit of poking the rock with a pencil, I did shake out a bunch of dead little sps frags I paid $7 bucks a pound for!! :P and a couple crabs in trap the next day.
And just to be safe, a trap goes into the tote or curing tank for each and every rock I ever cure! Nice to catch them before they hit the display.
I heard some clicking from a rock I'm curing in a tote. I figured I had a mantis or pistol shrimp hiding in there. Imagine my surprise to find a 14" eunicid in the trap I placed in the tote! Haven't heard any clicking since.
Me too. I thought it might have been a pistol shrimp in my tank for all these years. Now, no more clicking.
Diana
03-26-2009, 02:48 AM
This reminds me of dinner last night. Why you may ask? Raf and I got a nice Cod fillet from the Quay last night for dinner. Fried it up, cut it open, and I proceeded to pull out about a 2 inch worm from inside the fish meat. It was some sort of parasite, burrowed right into the meat of the fish. Needless to say I almost vomited and fainted at the same time. I think I will PASS on eating fish for a while, especially sashimi. shudddder. I cant get the image of it out of my head!
Northvan
02-03-2011, 05:07 AM
Mine is only about a foot long....worm I mean...I've been watching ours for about a year now, haven't lost any fish or corals yet, so left him alone so far...still not sure....but I kind of like him still
Zoaelite
02-03-2011, 05:12 AM
http://www.hyperdream.com/2009/reef/eunicidworm/img_1923_std.jpg
I had to do a double take when I first saw this image.. "Why is the worm and smashed rock on his ceiling next to the smoke detector?" Strange how the brain interprets images sometimes.
I did the same thing actually :lol:. It makes that large bristleworm seem tiny compared to it!
Northvan
02-03-2011, 05:17 AM
Diana & Raf
I'm going to have seafood nightmares tonight.
At least you didn't bite into it.
I shop there too, could happen anywhere, but OMG thats AWFUL.
untamed
02-07-2011, 04:24 AM
Mine is only about a foot long....worm I mean...I've been watching ours for about a year now, haven't lost any fish or corals yet, so left him alone so far...still not sure....but I kind of like him still
I had a large one for many years. It was vegetarian, but I also suspected it ate xenia. Sadly, he went along with the rock when I sold the system.
It was worth taking apart my tank to get rid of that worm. no more missing corals since then and no more chunks taken out of my fish. I wish I took pics of my dime sized baby hippo tang with its entire tail bit off and with guts hanging out. people would have been shocked to see it. i thought for sure it was a goner. but it survived. at the time i remembered thinking that the fish going to die so why take a photo of it. I generally don't take photos of dying corals, etc and so i didnt take a photo of the fish. would have made a great conversation piece now.
"Discovered: 'Barry' the sea worm had been nestling under coral reef, attacking it and fish, at Newquay's Blue Reef Aquarium in Cornwall"
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1165930/Barry-giant-sea-worm-discovered-aquarium-staff-mysterious-attacks-coral-reef.html#ixzz1ELgsqW7x
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1165930/Barry-giant-sea-worm-discovered-aquarium-staff-mysterious-attacks-coral-reef.html
phi delt reefer
02-07-2011, 11:39 AM
that video is going to give me nightmares... no live rock for me.. Just eco-reefer stuff :D
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