What is this LPS eating worm??

kingfisher62 · 08/09/2011, 06:21 AM

I have this elusive worm that I have yet to see! But it keeps building a bridge to my hammer. It ate a square centimeter of tissue when I was a way for a few days. I had tore the tube down before I left but it was rebuilt in that time. It was attacking my trumpets till I moved it. Ithink I will have to remove the whole rock to get rid of this guy.
Any ideas?

crzytrace · 08/09/2011, 07:11 AM

have you tried blocking the end of its tube with super glue or epoxy?

thebkramer · 08/09/2011, 07:34 AM

don't some eunicid worms build tunnels??

kingfisher62 · 08/09/2011, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crzytrace

have you tried blocking the end of its tube with super glue or epoxy?

I suppose I could plug it up but it is a soft tube built from sand and what ever so it would probably redirect the tube.
Some how I have to catch him.

kingfisher62 · 08/09/2011, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebkramer

don't some eunicid worms build tunnels??

I am not sure! I have similar looking tubes all over the tank but the are much , much smaller . You know what I am talking about I am sure . The smaller ones have those two smokey white tentacles that come out the end and drag food , sand and sediment back to form their tubes.

kingfisher62 · 08/09/2011, 05:11 PM

Anyone else have any idea what this thing is?

dzhuo · 08/09/2011, 10:30 PM

Are you certain that's not just a regular Spionid worm?

kingfisher62 · 08/10/2011, 05:46 AM

The smaller ones I have are definitely Spionid worm but have never seen them bother any thing. If this is a Spionid worm , it is the king kong of all Spionid worms. The tube is almost a 1/4" thick. Plus I never see any probing tentacles.

Do your Spionid worms ever eat corals? How big are yours?

Lynnmw1208 · 08/10/2011, 08:25 AM

If it is a spionid worm it won't eat the coral. i wonder how big they get though as that tube looks pretty big. does your coral suffer any ill effects with this tube there?

Sugar Magnolia · 08/10/2011, 09:31 AM

Kingfisher62, go ahead and send LeslieH a PM with a pic attached. She's our resident snail guru and will probably be able to give you an answer.

kingfisher62 · 08/10/2011, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lynnmw1208

If it is a spionid worm it won't eat the coral. i wonder how big they get though as that tube looks pretty big. does your coral suffer any ill effects with this tube there?

Yeah the tube was huge just the "bridge" to my hammer was 2 inches not including the part wrapping around the LR. It Took 3 days for it to repair the bridge after I tore it off. After it reached the hammer it stripped it to the bone a square centimeter whole.
Oh man! I just thought of something . I hope the worm did not enter the hammer skeleton.

kingfisher62 · 08/10/2011, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sugar Magnolia

Kingfisher62, go ahead and send LeslieH a PM with a pic attached. She's our resident snail guru and will probably be able to give you an answer.

Thanks Sugar!
I just sent LeslieH a PM with a link to this thread.

chrishayes · 08/10/2011, 07:01 PM

It is this. Gauranteed. Mine did the exact same thing, building those tunnels and eating snails, shrimp, coral you name it. It covers its victim in the same slime that it makes its tube from. Just throw a piece of shrimp in the tank at night and use a red flashlight but not directly pointed at the tank and you will see it. They are a holy terror and VERY difficult to catch or in my case, impossible. I ended up bleaching my rocks because I just couldnt find it so I wasnt about to put that rock into my new tank without knowing it was dead. Then when I set up my new tank with the bleached rock and some local bought cooked rock, I found I had ANOTHER one.

Have you ever found snails covered in a tranlucent jelly or notice their population dwindle? Out of dozens of snails I only had one astrea and one turbo that the worm didnt kill.

Oenone fulgida is the name. god help ya! lol

kingfisher62 · 08/10/2011, 07:35 PM

Could be! I did a seach and seen some traps that might work supposedly they love scallops.
Thanks

kingfisher62 · 08/15/2011, 06:43 PM

I think this guy made the leap to the hammer . No bridge was rebuilt in the last week.
Why did that stop? I am truely concerned.
I just picked up one bay scallop at the grocery store for a grand total of 7 cents . You should of seen the looks, but I did find it a little amusing!

IM GOIN WORM HUNTIN TNITE !!!!

LeslieH · 08/23/2011, 08:20 AM

Hi there --

I'm really not sure what it is Kingfisher. Usually that kind of a tube in a tank is built by terebellids AKA spagetti worms which are harmless. But if your hammer is being eaten I suspect that it's some kind of eunicid or nereid.

Oenone prefers molluscs but it will eat other organisms & detritus once all the molluscs are gone. Still, I've never read or heard about them eating corals.

I'll be quite interested in seeing what you find. Good luck!

ravenmore · 08/23/2011, 09:31 AM

sounds like the rock is a good candidate to go into the sump.

kingfisher62 · 08/23/2011, 09:07 PM

What sump? I have a very low tech tank. I have no idea where he went and it seemed to abandon the tube and rock in the picture.

kingfisher62 · 08/23/2011, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeslieH

Hi there --

I'm really not sure what it is Kingfisher. Usually that kind of a tube in a tank is built by terebellids AKA spagetti worms which are harmless. But if your hammer is being eaten I suspect that it's some kind of eunicid or nereid.

Oenone prefers molluscs but it will eat other organisms & detritus once all the molluscs are gone. Still, I've never read or heard about them eating corals.

I'll be quite interested in seeing what you find. Good luck!

Still have not seen this guy yet. The trap was unsuccessful so far.

kingfisher62 · 03/11/2013, 07:33 PM

OK. it has been over 4 years since this Oenone fulgida has reared it's ugly head d I finaly caught it tonight.

kingfisher62 · 03/11/2013, 07:47 PM

It has been working on one of my candy cane colonies. The colony was looking pretty rough, 5 or more heads eaten by this devil worm. So i took the colony out and rearranged the LR beneath it to break down the sand tube this worm had created fom the sand to the candycanes which were about 12 inches above the sand. then I desided to clean and frag the colony. The sandtube was woven through the branches. As I was tearing though the tube I saw it retreat deeper into the colony. As I started cutting the coral I noticed it smelled like the stench of a rotten tooth .This worm ate its way into a mouth of one polyp and burrowed into branches and was eating this coral from the inside out. I am pretty sure I got all it's pieces. Can These thing regenerate? Hope not! I know I got the tail end and the head. I am also hoping there was only this one worm because I never say more than on tub at on tim and it alway eminated from the same space.

LeslieH · 03/11/2013, 08:24 PM

Hi Kingfisher --

Got your PM. congratulations on catching the worm. I really hope it was the only one and you don't have to worry about any more. From your photo it looks as if you either got the whole worm or enough of it that you shouldn't have to worry about any bits regenerating.

Now about that name..... it's not Oenone fulgida. I didn't think it would be since it was eating corals. Oenone fulgida is almost always orange and the head is conical or round with 3 tiny antennae that are usually hidden by a skin fold. There are some good images of Oenone here
http://melevsreef.biz/node/659 and here http://www.roboastra.com/brunsworm/brwo375.htm and here http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...d.php?t=986437

What you have is a species of Lysidice, a genus in the family Eunicidae. The well-known palolo worm of Samoa belongs to this genus.

captjab · 03/11/2013, 10:49 PM

Congrats. A 4 year hunt is over. I know you had to be thrilled.

Jstn · 03/30/2013, 12:16 AM

Wow, just found this thread after I saw my acan getting munched on in the night.

Finally figured out what is hurting my coral.

Jstn · 03/30/2013, 09:49 AM

A pic of part of him on the left, a bristle on the right

08/09/2011, 07:34 AM	#3
thebkramer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 3,198	don't some eunicid worms build tunnels?? __________________ Rhonda There is NO such things as Dumb Questions!! There are However.. Dumb Answers!!! ;) ____________ Current Tank Info: 55g reef....Current Orbit SunPaq Lights, HOB Eshopps, HOB AquaClear 110, 2-1400 Koralia Powerheads & 1 Nano Koralia, 40+ lbs LR, 2" LS

08/09/2011, 05:11 PM	#6
kingfisher62 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: massachusetts Posts: 4,972	Anyone else have any idea what this thing is? __________________ 55g Tank - 216W T5's Foxface, tomato clown, yellow tailed damsel, Starrie Blennie, LPS and softies 29G Biocube- 120W LED's 2 percular clown, Six line Wrasse , LPS and softies Current Tank Info: 55 gl. Reef tank ,29g biocube Reef

08/09/2011, 10:30 PM	#7
dzhuo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,338	Are you certain that's not just a regular Spionid worm? __________________ One of the most frustrating thing about this hobby? The blind leading the blind.

08/10/2011, 05:46 AM	#8
kingfisher62 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: massachusetts Posts: 4,972	The smaller ones I have are definitely Spionid worm but have never seen them bother any thing. If this is a Spionid worm , it is the king kong of all Spionid worms. The tube is almost a 1/4" thick. Plus I never see any probing tentacles. Do your Spionid worms ever eat corals? How big are yours? __________________ 55g Tank - 216W T5's Foxface, tomato clown, yellow tailed damsel, Starrie Blennie, LPS and softies 29G Biocube- 120W LED's 2 percular clown, Six line Wrasse , LPS and softies Current Tank Info: 55 gl. Reef tank ,29g biocube Reef

08/10/2011, 08:25 AM	#9
Lynnmw1208 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Brunswick, Ohio Posts: 3,306	If it is a spionid worm it won't eat the coral. i wonder how big they get though as that tube looks pretty big. does your coral suffer any ill effects with this tube there? __________________ equipment: Eshopps psk-200 skimmer, Mag 12 pump, 30gal sump, 2x 300w Finnex heaters, glass-holes 1500gph overflow kit with 3/4" return kits, 72" 8x36w t-5 AquaticLife light, 66lbs of LR, 150lbs of tropic eden reeflakes, 2 Koralia Evo 1400, JBJ ATO, BRS dual GFO/carbon reactors, Hydor smartwave Current Tank Info: 125gallon

08/09/2011, 07:11 AM	#2
crzytrace Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: IA Posts: 60	have you tried blocking the end of its tube with super glue or epoxy?

08/10/2011, 09:31 AM	#10
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	Kingfisher62, go ahead and send LeslieH a PM with a pic attached. She's our resident snail guru and will probably be able to give you an answer. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

08/10/2011, 07:01 PM	#13
chrishayes Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Delaware, Ohio Posts: 938	It is this. Gauranteed. Mine did the exact same thing, building those tunnels and eating snails, shrimp, coral you name it. It covers its victim in the same slime that it makes its tube from. Just throw a piece of shrimp in the tank at night and use a red flashlight but not directly pointed at the tank and you will see it. They are a holy terror and VERY difficult to catch or in my case, impossible. I ended up bleaching my rocks because I just couldnt find it so I wasnt about to put that rock into my new tank without knowing it was dead. Then when I set up my new tank with the bleached rock and some local bought cooked rock, I found I had ANOTHER one. Have you ever found snails covered in a tranlucent jelly or notice their population dwindle? Out of dozens of snails I only had one astrea and one turbo that the worm didnt kill. Oenone fulgida is the name. god help ya! lol

08/10/2011, 07:35 PM	#14
kingfisher62 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: massachusetts Posts: 4,972	Could be! I did a seach and seen some traps that might work supposedly they love scallops. Thanks __________________ 55g Tank - 216W T5's Foxface, tomato clown, yellow tailed damsel, Starrie Blennie, LPS and softies 29G Biocube- 120W LED's 2 percular clown, Six line Wrasse , LPS and softies Current Tank Info: 55 gl. Reef tank ,29g biocube Reef

08/15/2011, 06:43 PM	#15
kingfisher62 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: massachusetts Posts: 4,972	I think this guy made the leap to the hammer . No bridge was rebuilt in the last week. Why did that stop? I am truely concerned. I just picked up one bay scallop at the grocery store for a grand total of 7 cents . You should of seen the looks, but I did find it a little amusing! IM GOIN WORM HUNTIN TNITE !!!! __________________ 55g Tank - 216W T5's Foxface, tomato clown, yellow tailed damsel, Starrie Blennie, LPS and softies 29G Biocube- 120W LED's 2 percular clown, Six line Wrasse , LPS and softies Current Tank Info: 55 gl. Reef tank ,29g biocube Reef

08/23/2011, 08:20 AM	#16
LeslieH Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 3,178	Hi there -- I'm really not sure what it is Kingfisher. Usually that kind of a tube in a tank is built by terebellids AKA spagetti worms which are harmless. But if your hammer is being eaten I suspect that it's some kind of eunicid or nereid. Oenone prefers molluscs but it will eat other organisms & detritus once all the molluscs are gone. Still, I've never read or heard about them eating corals. I'll be quite interested in seeing what you find. Good luck! __________________ Cheers, Leslie So many worms, so little time... Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

08/23/2011, 09:31 AM	#17
ravenmore Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Austin TX Posts: 1,590	sounds like the rock is a good candidate to go into the sump. __________________ Mean people are like slinkys. They're really not worth much but still are entertaining to watch tumble down the stairs. Current Tank Info: 75 gallon reef tank in progress

08/23/2011, 09:07 PM	#18
kingfisher62 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: massachusetts Posts: 4,972	What sump? I have a very low tech tank. I have no idea where he went and it seemed to abandon the tube and rock in the picture. __________________ 55g Tank - 216W T5's Foxface, tomato clown, yellow tailed damsel, Starrie Blennie, LPS and softies 29G Biocube- 120W LED's 2 percular clown, Six line Wrasse , LPS and softies Current Tank Info: 55 gl. Reef tank ,29g biocube Reef

03/11/2013, 07:33 PM	#20
kingfisher62 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: massachusetts Posts: 4,972	OK. it has been over 4 years since this Oenone fulgida has reared it's ugly head d I finaly caught it tonight. __________________ 55g Tank - 216W T5's Foxface, tomato clown, yellow tailed damsel, Starrie Blennie, LPS and softies 29G Biocube- 120W LED's 2 percular clown, Six line Wrasse , LPS and softies Current Tank Info: 55 gl. Reef tank ,29g biocube Reef

03/11/2013, 07:47 PM	#21
kingfisher62 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: massachusetts Posts: 4,972	It has been working on one of my candy cane colonies. The colony was looking pretty rough, 5 or more heads eaten by this devil worm. So i took the colony out and rearranged the LR beneath it to break down the sand tube this worm had created fom the sand to the candycanes which were about 12 inches above the sand. then I desided to clean and frag the colony. The sandtube was woven through the branches. As I was tearing though the tube I saw it retreat deeper into the colony. As I started cutting the coral I noticed it smelled like the stench of a rotten tooth .This worm ate its way into a mouth of one polyp and burrowed into branches and was eating this coral from the inside out. I am pretty sure I got all it's pieces. Can These thing regenerate? Hope not! I know I got the tail end and the head. I am also hoping there was only this one worm because I never say more than on tub at on tim and it alway eminated from the same space. __________________ 55g Tank - 216W T5's Foxface, tomato clown, yellow tailed damsel, Starrie Blennie, LPS and softies 29G Biocube- 120W LED's 2 percular clown, Six line Wrasse , LPS and softies Current Tank Info: 55 gl. Reef tank ,29g biocube Reef Last edited by kingfisher62; 03/11/2013 at 07:54 PM.

03/11/2013, 08:24 PM	#22
LeslieH Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 3,178	Hi Kingfisher -- Got your PM. congratulations on catching the worm. I really hope it was the only one and you don't have to worry about any more. From your photo it looks as if you either got the whole worm or enough of it that you shouldn't have to worry about any bits regenerating. Now about that name..... it's not Oenone fulgida. I didn't think it would be since it was eating corals. Oenone fulgida is almost always orange and the head is conical or round with 3 tiny antennae that are usually hidden by a skin fold. There are some good images of Oenone here http://melevsreef.biz/node/659 and here http://www.roboastra.com/brunsworm/brwo375.htm and here http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...d.php?t=986437 What you have is a species of Lysidice, a genus in the family Eunicidae. The well-known palolo worm of Samoa belongs to this genus. __________________ Cheers, Leslie So many worms, so little time... Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

03/11/2013, 10:49 PM	#23
captjab Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Foley,AL Posts: 415	Congrats. A 4 year hunt is over. I know you had to be thrilled. __________________ I love the smell of Acros in the morning. Current Tank Info: Starting Over With A 40 Breeder

03/30/2013, 12:16 AM	#24
Jstn Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Minneapolis Mn Posts: 622	Wow, just found this thread after I saw my acan getting munched on in the night. Finally figured out what is hurting my coral.

03/30/2013, 09:49 AM	#25
Jstn Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Minneapolis Mn Posts: 622	A pic of part of him on the left, a bristle on the right

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