Have you seen this one!!!!!!!!!

[mrdc]

Well I have a few things going on tonight that I was going to talk about the bad being my wet / dry filter was busted open when I got home.

However, I am not going to talk about that because that would have me ranting and raving for a long time.
Anyway, I have been cleaning up a mess and while I was waiting for my compound to dry I noticed something weird. I have a bunch of Xenia growing and I have to say growing "loosely". I was given a batch of big Xenia about 2+ months ago and I just noticed some new polyps a 3 weeks ago. Well tonight I saw a bristle worm come out of the rock hovering above the xenia, grab a polyp and yank it back into it's hole! :scared: Have you seen that one?
I'm using a bristle worm trap and have caught small worms but none of the big ones. It was cool seeing the worm doing it's thing but I think it may be a problem.

 

[dea bad lt]

I have seen bristle worms go after the food I feed my shrooms. They will actually crawl inside of the closed up shroom.

 

[tizzo]

Well, there is a coral eating bristle that is pretty rare to find in hobbiests tanks, but it happens. It is more commonly refered to as a fireworm. I cannot find it's scientific name cause that page has been ripped out of my book, but it has a couple of characteristics. The most obvious is that it is not afraid to show itself in light and is not as shy as the bristle. The other is an obvious red dot on it's head. Common bristles do not have one.
An altogether different explanation is that the coral was dying?? Is that a possibility?

 

[mrdc]

I don't think it was dieing because it was one of the new xenia polyps. I need me a coral bristle worm eater! I can catch the small ones but not the big guys. I may try to entice them with some food and try catching them by hand. They retract quickly so it may be very difficult.
Tizz, what book are you using?

 

[tizzo]

The one with this particular worm is a magazine actually. "Marine Fish and Reef USA" annual, 2004. It woulda been pg 113

 

[wax32]

A lot, but not all, Fireworms are from the genus Hermodice. Some are also from the genus Chloeia. I have to say I have never seen a picture of one with a red dot, but I'm not saying some don't have one.

The main visual clue I see is the HUGE bristles. Try doing a google search on those two genera and see if yours looks like any of the pictures you come up with.

 

[tscuda]

When you say catch by hand I hope your not talking about with bare fingers.

 

[mrdc]

I will have gloves. I almost had one last night but it shot back into it's rock. They come out when I drop in pellet food.