creature ID

[Ryan Ryno]

I have 6 week old live rock with a red bushy looking macro algae, I haven't seen it grow or do anything yet. Tonight I was looking with a flashlight and some tentacle or worm was extending out of the rock about 1 1/2 inches and grabbing pieces and ripping them off. The worm had light and dark stripes going around it's body, but what was strange was the way it extended. It seemed to roll out from inside itself. It reminded me of the kids toy , the balloon tube filled with water. When you grabbed it it squirted out of your hand. Any idea what he is, and will he munch on corals when I get them?
Thanks Ryan

[Hiromi]

sounds like a brittle star to me!
Relax they are fine guys.
Hiromi

[dragon0121]

Ryan,
Here is an excerpt fro the Hitch Hikers Faq on reefs.org

"Last night I looked in my tank with a flashlight and saw a small worm about a 1/4" long that unrolled itself like a sock. It was not segmented like a "bristleworm", is this a polychaete?
What you probably saw was a Sipunculan or peanut worm. It is not a polychaete, rather it is in a phylum of it's own. Sipunculans are harmless animals that bore holes in rock."

[Minotaur15]

Ding ding ding. Dragon wins the prize on this one. I'm almost 99% sure you saw a peanut worm. :D

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Dan - minotaur15@hotmail.com
http://www.einsweb.com/minotaur15/

[JohnL]

Yep, Peanut Worm.

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Peace - John

[rshimek]

Hi,

Indeedy a sipunc.

Here is a URL with some information about them.
http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/1997/dec/wb/default.asp

Cheers, Ron