CHRISTMAS TREE WORM BABY!?!?

Bryce M. · Nov 20, 2023

Okay so a couple months ago I got a Christmas tree worm rock from a friend who was tearing down. Had three beautiful big worms in it. Actually a few weeks ago I has some die off on the porites from an alk dip while I was away. Then tonight I'm checking up and notice something on the bottom. It looks like another worm, well there is an aptasia next to it, doenst look like one but maybe. I moved my tongs around it and it retracted right into the coral. It's undeniably a fourth worm. I have never seen this one before, it's so small I doubt you can see it in the photo.
I'm flabbergasted, I was under the impression reproduction in captivity was impossible. I mean this is 100% a worm I've never seen and it's facing the glass I would have seen it before and it's so small!?!?
Experts???

(bonus photo of one of my Chromis photo bombing me!!!)

ISpeakForTheSeas · Nov 20, 2023

Can you get some pics under whiter light? The pic is a bit too washed out by the blue.

Bryce M. · Nov 20, 2023

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
Can you get some pics under whiter light? The pic is a bit too washed out by the blue.

Even got one of it retracted. Tried getting a video but it was already fully out

ISpeakForTheSeas · Nov 20, 2023

Bryce M. said:
Even got one of it retracted. Tried getting a video but it was already fully out

I can see the worm in question, but not well enough to tell if it's another Christmas Tree Worm or not. I don't know if you can get a closer-up, clearer pic or not, but it may be helpful if you can.

Regardless, given what we know of Christmas Tree Worm reproduction at the moment, the odds a baby popping up in your tank are astronomically low (probably about the same as the odds of winning the lottery); it's not impossible, just extremely unlikely. I'd guess it's more likely that either 1 - the worm was already there, just in a different spot and changed its location, 2 - the worm was already there and just recovering from an injury, or 3 - it's a hitchhiking feather duster worm of some variety that happened to pop up in your Christmas Tree Worm rock.

Bryce M. · Nov 20, 2023

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
I can see the worm in question, but not well enough to tell if it's another Christmas Tree Worm or not. I don't know if you can get a closer-up, clearer pic or not, but it may be helpful if you can.

Regardless, given what we know of Christmas Tree Worm reproduction at the moment, the odds a baby popping up in your tank are astronomically low (probably about the same as the odds of winning the lottery); it's not impossible, just extremely unlikely. I'd guess it's more likely that either 1 - the worm was already there, just in a different spot and changed its location, 2 - the worm was already there and just recovering from an injury, or 3 - it's a hitchhiking feather duster worm of some variety that happened to pop up in your Christmas Tree Worm rock.

Alright, yeah I thought it was impossible. I cannot get a closer photo without taking it out. Comparing it to the worms I'm extremely certain it is one. Can they move? I never knew that, that would explain it. Also very possible it was recovering and hiding, I'd still be shocked it lasted months hiding but I've seen weirder. Still if they can move that could be likely. The size just really shocks me.

Thank you for the imput! I'll have to keep a closer eye on these guys and see how it goes.

ISpeakForTheSeas · Nov 20, 2023

Bryce M. said:
Can they move?

Yeah, they prefer to be sessile, but they can move - they actually bore through the corals, so if one wanted to for some reason, it could just bore another exit through the coral.

Bryce M. · Nov 20, 2023

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
Yeah, they prefer to be sessile, but they can move - they actually bore through the corals, so if one wanted to for some reason, it could just bore another exit through the coral.

Oh interesting! Yeah could be possible too. Interesting, still an odd event overall.
Be neat if it was breeding but even if it was I doubt it would ever happen again, but I am thinking it's the moving around, that makes the most sense to me.

College_Reefer · Nov 30, 2023

Just saw this post but yeah, they very rarely reproduce and are especially unlikely to right after a move. The rock of them in my profile pic reproduced and I had a few babies on it over the years, so it definitely isn't impossible. I work on research teams down in the Keys and I have seen them grow on our cinderblocks within a 6-month time frame. Now granted, it's the ocean and not a tank but they will choose other places to bore into too.