Bobbit worm (Eunice worm)

[dizzy]

I was breaking apart a large clump of live rock and coral that had fused together as one, to remove nuisance polpys. So anyway it had the tank pretty stirred up, but I noticed this eel like shape moving pretty quickly. I grabbed at it loosely with my hand and it was fairly slick as it slithered across my palm. Later I was horrified as I got a good look at this creature. 8O So anyway I caught it (not by hand) 8) and put it in a bucket and snapped a couple of quick pixs. I measured the circumference of the bucket at 34" and the diameter at 11" which would put this one at around 45". Looked it up in book that says they can get caught up to 20' and can grow to possibly 50'. 8O Freaky for sure.
Mitch

PS Can this things bite or sting?

 

[blackcloudmedia]

gross what is that?

 

[Unarce]

There's a few paragraphs on eunicid worms in this years Marine Fish and Reef. Here's and excerpt:

Large eunicids are often harmless and make interesting aquarium animals...

...Nevertheless, other large specimens, possibly of different species, have been observed to eat zoanthids, mushroom polyps and corals. In addition to being predatory, eunicids are often capable of moving rocks weighing several pounds.

HTH

 

[Anonymous]

>.. I measured the circumference of the bucket at 34" and the diameter at 11" which would put this one at around 45". Looked it up in book that says they can get caught up to 20' and can grow to possibly 50'. Freaky for sure.

It is contracted (see how the feet are close to each other in some of the segments?), so the actual length is probably around 52 inch to 55 inch. Congrat!

 

[Anonymous]

You touched that thing Mitch? That thing is gnarly :lol: Reminds me of Steve Weasts ( http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm ) which was eating corals.

 

[dizzy]

You touched that thing Mitch? That thing is gnarly :lol: Reminds me of Steve Weasts ( http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm ) which was eating corals.

That does look like the same creature. Yeah and it felt slimmy. I kept looking at my hand expecting to see some some of indication I was stung or something, but none occured. It may have well been feeding on corals.
It actually was in the same rock that the red mother of all fireworms had come out of a couple of months ago. Man they've been eating me out of house and home. 8O
Mitch

 

[Anonymous]

At least it's gone now. Do you still have flash backs of the feel of it slipping over your hand? :lol: Makes me squirm just thinking about it.

I would have been in disbelief that it didn't sting you as well. We're so conditioned with bristle worm bristles.

 

[steveweast]

A few fun facts....


1) These worms come in on Fiji rock. If you have Fiji rock, you have a good chance at having a eunicid. These hitchhikers will come in at around 6 inches or less. I see dozens laying on the bottom of the box when Fiji rock comes to my LFS.

2) These guys can grow unnoticed at a rate of up to 3 inches a month. Grazing a little here.. and a little there. When they get big or suddenly discover a new polyp colony....only then will their voracious appitite be noticed. I pulled a 7 ft and a 5ft worm out of my tank. They are nocturnal and are lightning quick. They hide within holes in rocks or even pipes (their Chamber of Secrets). Even a small tank can grow a monster.

3) They will eat fleshy corals at night. I found both of mine mowing down ricordea at night. The worms that I pulled out were viewed cleaning a 5" sq piece of ricordea rock per night.

4) These are considered "good eats" in Fiji. They reproduce through the tails. The tail sections will break off and swim to the surface to release its load of eggs or sperm. The Fijians catch and eat these tail sections.

5) The only way to remove these worms is by determining their lair through night time viewing and then removing that rock or pipe from the tank. The worms can also secrete a mucous and create tunnels in the sand.Trying to catch them in the open is futile.

6) The amount of waste that these guys produce is amazing.....they are equivalent to having a large eel in the tank.

7) If you see what looks like rabbit pellets on the sand.....you got a large eunicid in the tank. Eunicid's poop looks just hard rabbit pellets.

 

[Unarce]

Deep fry it and see how it tastes with some jambalaya.

 

[dizzy]

Gresham,
It's not exactly gone. It just got relocated. :wink:
Steve you ain't wrong about the poop. 8O

 

[Anonymous]

You gonna try eating it? :? not me :lol: