ID on a worm?

[TimD]

I have some kind of worm (actually, several specimens) living in my tank. They are in the sand bed, and I only know they're there because they periodically protrude a mass of very thin, black, wavy tentacles up through the surface of the sand.

Does this description ring any immediate bells as to what kind of creature this is, and whether or not it's a danger to anything in the tank?

[H2OLUVSME]

i think a pic is in order :D

[TimD]

I'll try and get a picture tonight, but it may be very difficult... the tentacles are teeny tiny... probably won't be discernable at all, even in a hi-res digital photo.

[CrystalAZ]

Sounds like hair worms (commonly called spaghetti worms).

Do a search and see if that is what you have. :)

Crystal

[TimD]

Here's a pic, FWIW:

http://photos1.blogger.com/img/148/3897/640/DSC01467.jpg

[bertoni]

That link doesn't work for me. A search for cirratulid and terebellid worms might turn up some pictures. Also, perhaps they are sipunculans.

[sipe]

I added some terebeliid worms a few weeks ago with bright oranges tentacles. The terebellid tentacles reaches almost an inch and dont congregate like that. I love them though because any food that settles is quickly caught by the worms.

[TimD]

Sorry... check out the top picture on 3/7/05 at http://75greef.blogspot.com or click my little red house.

[bertoni]

Looks like cirratulid (hair) worm to me. Maybe terebellid. Either way, they're a fine addition, IMO.

[TimD]

Good to know... I've been seeing them off and on for a while, but never remembered to post here about it. So they mainly scavenge detritus, then? They're not parasitic or opportunistic hunters, are they? They don't seem to move around (I generally see them "blooming" at the same spots) so I don't think they're doing anything to sift or turn the sand, but if they're beneficial, then that's great! :)

[bertoni]

They scavenge, and can't hunt or parasitize. I like them, myself.