Please identify this worm

It's about 12cm long

 

Its a run of the mill bristle worm. I would remove it, many of them eat corals. DO NOT touch it, those hairs will spike you, and you'll shit off to get them out.

 

Damn, how do I remove it.

 

Tweezers buddy.

 

cool i'll try that

 

In my experience they have never eaten any of my corals. As Alan says all tanks have them.

 

I had one that gnawed away at the stem of a pincushion. Granted it was the only mishap, but i'm not one to take chances.

 

Personally i like bristle worms. They can get to the crannies to get stuck food where fish can't reach.

But if you wanna get rid of the bugger, I have also heard that wrasse eat them. Else just catch him with your hand while wearing some dishwashing gloves.

 

Thanks guys, I'll have to ponder over this one, but so far my corals seem fine. So I assume it's not eating them.

 

Just my humble opinion, but left alone these little fellas are very much apart of, not only the clean up crew, but part of the reef system, you buys live rock you gets the hitchhikers - should we really be murdering the ones we don't like or don't look pretty?? - i don't mean lets all save aptasia or other "pests" that can ruin a tank but until you acually saw the worm it had been clearing up fish poo and any other creature that had died and saved you potential crashes due to a possible ammonia overdose.
I hope that doesn't come over as too sentimental or down right pathetic but until you spend a fair amount of time looking at your tank in the dark under red light you don't know half of your tank inhabitants.

Mike, founder member save the bristleworm foundation

 

No worries Mike, I'm right behind you