Cant ID these worms?

Kronk · #1 01-01-2009, 10:04 PM

I have noticed these creatures in my reef from the start mostly at night they are small maybe 1/4" max diameter and have 7 or 8 tentacles. I have seen one puking out a collonista snail shell once so I think they may be predatory but my reef is packed with pods so it may have just been a fluke. They are in my rocks and sand and dont ever seem to move they just kind of sit there with there tentacles extended all night. My concern is that the closest thing i can ID them to is a Euncid worm!!! but like i said they don't seem to move and nothing in the reef shows signs of being chewed on... so i am at a loss as to what they may be, any ideas?

Thanks,
Ken

xtreme · #2 01-01-2009, 10:13 PM

Looks like a little Aiptasia anemone to me.

tlo · #3 01-01-2009, 10:48 PM

I agree, aiptasia anemone. Definately a pest. Get rid of them now b/f they spread to plague like numbers.
I have found joes juice/aiptasia x to be the most effective, but if you do a search, you will find many different methods of erradication.

Kronk · #4 01-02-2009, 12:44 AM

Its definately not aiptasia I have had a few of those pop up over the past couple years and joes juice them. These dont grow like aiptasia and the tentacles are rigid.

chandigz · #5 01-02-2009, 02:25 AM

might be a type of "worm cucumber"

o.c.d. · #6 01-03-2009, 03:04 AM

For it to definitely not be aiptasia, it sure looks like one. Maybe it's a worm that ate a aiptasia, liked it and now disguises itself as one. Some type of ambush predator

I now I'm awful, really though more than one type of aiptasia

Kronk · #7 01-03-2009, 06:03 AM

Well at first i thought it was some kind of Sandworm straight out of Dune after my damn spice...
I didnt realize there was more than one type of aiptasia? It isnt like any I have ever seen. And the fact that they only come out at night or in dark spots. I always thought aiptasia required light which is why they can be "cooked" by depriving them of it?

o.c.d. · #8 01-03-2009, 03:48 PM

These little guys are very resilant they can live in deprived conditions. The one you have is mabe Bartholomea annulata (Fam:Aiptasiidae) even that type has many different shape and they change color throughout the year. http://www.poppe-images.com/expediti...id=1123&max=51

Kronk · #9 01-03-2009, 04:26 PM

Thanks for the link, that looks really similar. So it appears I have noctural glass anemones hahaha.