Worm parasite on leather?

Whiterabbitrage · 05/24/2013, 01:50 AM

I have a devils finger / Lobophytum that I got a month ago. He seems to be doing fine. But last night I found a worm on him. It was about 3 or 4 inches long, thin, round, transparent. He didn't seem to be eating the coral, but I did not want to take any chances. I tried to remove the worm with tweezers. It was very fast but I got it at last. During the chase it never made any effort to leave the coral. I think it was partially burrowed into the coral but I can't honestly say for sure, as it all happened so fast. I looked at it under a microscope but couldn't tell much. Smooth, segmented. Have been burning up the Internet trying to find info, but haven't found anything.

It is not a jellyfish hitchiker. I know what a Comb jelly /Coeloplana astericula looks like, since that was my last bizarre hitchiker I had to research. Has anyone ever heard of a parasite worm?

Rockster2599 · 05/24/2013, 03:55 AM

You may want to post this in the soft corals forum.

Whiterabbitrage · 05/25/2013, 01:53 AM

Doh!

05/24/2013, 01:50 AM	#1
Whiterabbitrage Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 1,338 Blog Entries: 1	Worm parasite on leather? I have a devils finger / Lobophytum that I got a month ago. He seems to be doing fine. But last night I found a worm on him. It was about 3 or 4 inches long, thin, round, transparent. He didn't seem to be eating the coral, but I did not want to take any chances. I tried to remove the worm with tweezers. It was very fast but I got it at last. During the chase it never made any effort to leave the coral. I think it was partially burrowed into the coral but I can't honestly say for sure, as it all happened so fast. I looked at it under a microscope but couldn't tell much. Smooth, segmented. Have been burning up the Internet trying to find info, but haven't found anything. It is not a jellyfish hitchiker. I know what a Comb jelly /Coeloplana astericula looks like, since that was my last bizarre hitchiker I had to research. Has anyone ever heard of a parasite worm?

05/24/2013, 03:55 AM	#2
Rockster2599 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Chesterfield, UK Posts: 216	You may want to post this in the soft corals forum.

05/25/2013, 01:53 AM	#3
Whiterabbitrage Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 1,338 Blog Entries: 1	Doh!