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View Full Version : Medusa "worm" breeding?

CELACANTHr
03/16/2006, 07:04 AM
A few months back I bought a small medusa worm, that came from the carribean, and it seems to feed on the diatoms, algae, and detritus in my tank, or at least it is "swabbing" its feeders over the algae and diatoms and detritus. Well, for about 2 weeks I have been seeing a bunch of tiny ones. I think there are at least 20 or so new ones. They are all tiny though, but look exactly like the large medusa. Today ! finally saw my medusa worm again, and it has at least tripled in size.

The small medusa worms couldn't have come in on my live rock, since all of my rock I made myself, and the only true LR that I have came from the pacific, and I am pretty sure that these are the same medusa worms as the big one, but I am not willing to cut one open and send it off to find out;) .

So my question is, "Do you think that these new medusa worms are offspring of the big one, or that maybe the large one was damaged, and the young ones generated from it?"

Thanx!
The steven liu
03/16/2006, 09:45 AM
If they split you'd have 2 instead of 20. So I think you might have a bunch of babies! congrads!
kmk2307
03/16/2006, 01:39 PM
It's possible that small worms of a different species entered your tank via sediment attached to the large worm you purchased. Is your large medusa worm actually a polychaete worm or is it a sea cucumber (an echinoderm)?

Kevin
CELACANTHr
03/16/2006, 03:34 PM
cucumber, sorry forgot to clarify!
CELACANTHr
03/19/2006, 11:21 AM
bump
CELACANTHr
04/11/2006, 09:33 PM
Well, most of the babies have grown up into about pencil thick 3" medusa cucumbers, and now i have another generation springing up!
fijireef
04/14/2006, 01:12 PM
Thats pretty cool! But does their toxicity concern you? Is this a species tank?
CELACANTHr
04/15/2006, 04:38 PM
they are in a 37 gallon lagoon tank

No, the toxicity doesn't concern me. It did at first, but I gotta tell you I have one of those rio 700GPH on my tank, and I see the medusa worms CRAWLING on the intake!
Freed
04/15/2006, 04:43 PM
PICTURES please
fijireef
04/15/2006, 11:43 PM
Yes please! Pictures... sounds cool would love to see them!
CELACANTHr
04/16/2006, 10:20 AM
HA! Well, I will take a picture of em, but when you look at the pic you still won't be able too see them.

:-(