ID this elastic stringy creature

[noodlemmy]

I just got a new piece of live rock from someone's tank they had just tore down. After putting it in my tank, of course I HAD to look at it and find as many creatures as I could!! Besides a couple cute pinkish white feather dusters, there are these really WEIRD things.
They have long, threadlike strings that come out of a small hole in the rock. It looks like each animal has its own hole. They don't live very close together, maybe an inch and a half apart. The hole is small enough to have been made with a needle or maybe a mechanical pencil point. It seems like there are 4 or 5 threads that come out of each hole. The thread is clearish and streeeeeeetches out so thin that it almost looks like it broke away, but then once it grabs onto a piece of food or particle of something it snaps back into the hole like it's made of elastic. The strings don't float with the current or come away from the rock. They only creep across it except for when they snap back.
I have never seen anything like this described or pictured. It is impossible for me to get a photo since they are so fine and delicate.
I hope these things aren't something bad!!! They don't look interested in hurting anyone, but just being their stretchy selves.

 

[noodlemmy]

Been doing more research... spaghetti worm possibly...?

 

[alyssia]

Did you check the hitchiker thread in the archives?

 

[granny]

They are 'fishing worms' common in live rock and that is exactly what they do-fish for food. Totally harmless-may get eaten by your shrimp, crabs or a wrasse.

 

[noodlemmy]

It's not red colored like the hair worm/spaghetti worm on the hitchhiker ID thread. Oh my Lord, is that thing hideous. I hope I don't have that thing living in my tank. It looks like a centipede and those are the one bug I cannot stand.
The worms each have their own little home in the hole. From the description it sounds like a spaghetti worm by how it acts, but I still don't see much of a resemblence.... I don't know.
I couldn't find any threads about fishing worms. Can you point me in the right direction?
Whatever they are they seem pretty neat and I'm glad they are there (as long as I don't see the rest of their bodies!!)

 

[alyssia]

I've never heard of fishing worms. I googled it but all that came up was the kind of worms you use when you go fishing.

 

[alyssia]

...and you're right, the spaghetti worm is hideous! :hilarious

 

[granny]

Ha Ha! I really dont care to see them ether! Had company this weekend and they all stood around my tank looking and asking questions "whats that"
they thought the featherduster worms were plants.
Anyway, I have had fishing worms in my tanks and have never seen the actual worm, only the little strings they put out to catch things. There may be something about them on one of the hitchhiker threads. I dont know the scientific name for them-so dont know where to send you. But you can trust me they are harmless, interesting and as far as I know, 'fishing worm' is a common terminology for them.

 

[noodlemmy]

Well how neat!! Thank you so much for your help.
It's funny how when you get a new piece of rock it looks so dead at first. I really wondered if there was anything on it but some hair algae and a little coralline. Now there's all kinds of little beings popping out! This morning I saw my first peanut worm and last night I spotted some anemone-like beings but they pulled in really fast when I shone the light on them. We will just have to see who else emerges with time :thinking:

 

[alyssia]

Originally Posted by noodlemmy
Well how neat!! Thank you so much for your help.
It's funny how when you get a new piece of rock it looks so dead at first. I really wondered if there was anything on it but some hair algae and a little coralline. Now there's all kinds of little beings popping out! This morning I saw my first peanut worm and last night I spotted some anemone-like beings but they pulled in really fast when I shone the light on them. We will just have to see who else emerges with time :thinking:

Make sure the anemones aren't aiptaisia. Those are considered a pest and you should get rid of them, they can spread really fast and they sting things. Their is also a pic of them in the hitchiker thread.

 

[noodlemmy]

Originally Posted by alyssia
Make sure the anemones are aiptaisia. Those are considered a pest and you should get rid of them, they can spread really fast and they sting things. Their is also a pic of them in the hitchiker thread.
I haven't had a good look at them yet. There are 2 of them, one on top of the rock and one on the bottom. The rock had been in the people's tank for 5 years, and none of the pieces had any aiptasia as far as I could see... I don't know if they are even anemones. They might be feather dusters. They pull in so fast I can't see much of them. Little stinkers!! I will get a better idea of what they are soon, hopefully! Thanks for your concern with my tank's wellbeing

 

[bang guy]

In general Spaghetti Worms (Terebellid) have more than two long clear or white tentacles. Hair Worms (Serratulid) have colored/striped tentacles.

 

[noodlemmy]

Originally Posted by Bang Guy
In general Spaghetti Worms (Terebellid) have long clear or white tentacles. Hair Worms (Serratulid) have colored/striped tentacles.
In that case, my new friends are of the pasta persuasion! Are they really as stinkin' ugly as the photo??

 

[bang guy]

Yes but they rarely, if ever, come out of the rock.

 

[threed240]

Does it look like this?

 

[noodlemmy]

Pretty much, but mine's on a much smaller scale! I must have baby spaghetti. Angelhair