WHAT IS THIS THING?

[Aquatic Jewels]

Can someone please for the love of God tell me what the heck this thing is? I found these tentacles coming out of one of my rocks that were about 6" long. I pulled the rock and flushed the cavity and this thing came out.

 

[JoJosReef]

Super interesting. Following. Maybe a type of spaghetti worm? The complexity and movement of it's body has me doubting though.

 

[Stephen8169301]

Same following maybe two types of creatures?

 

[Aquatic Jewels]

Ok so I broke out my macro lens for this. The opposite side is smooth with no legs/tentacles on it.

 

[Stephen8169301]

Kinda looks like a tangled serpent starfish

 

[Aquatic Jewels]

Kinda looks like a tangled serpent starfish

Did you see the video? It is a type of worm of some kind. This thing is gross looking.

 

[Stephen8169301]

Did you see the video? It is a type of worm of some kind. This thing is gross looking.

Looks like that’s the middle body I’m gonna say there is a bunch

 

[GatorGreg]

Gives me the heebeejeebees

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Looks like a hair worm:

Looks like either a hair worm (Cirratulidae) or a spaghetti worm (Terebellide) to me - if the tentacles all come out from a single point, it’s a spaghetti worm; if they come out from basically all over the body it’s a hair worm.

 

[Aquatic Jewels]

Here is a longer video with my macro lens.

 

[Aquatic Jewels]

Looks like a hair worm:

Are they OK to have in my tank or am I tearing it down and starting over?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Are they OK to have in my tank or am I tearing it down and starting over?

They’re harmless/beneficial. Not pretty, but good guys to have.

 

[Aquatic Jewels]

They’re harmless/beneficial. Not pretty, but good guys to have.

Should I replace this one then? I have it in a bowl?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Should I replace this one then? I have it in a bowl?

Yeah, I’d put it back in the tank. Here’s an article with some info on them:

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reefkeeping.com

 

[Aquatic Jewels]

Yeah, I’d put it back in the tank. Here’s an article with some info on them:

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reefkeeping.com

Thank you for the information link. That was really interesting to read.

 

[AydenLincoln]

One very tangled spaghetti worm harmless detritus feeder!

 

[Nate Chalk]

Agree. Will self regulate population based on detritus. Same as bristle worms

All cleaning your tank for free

 

[AydenLincoln]

If you look closer and pull some out of the sand! You’ll see the tentacles come out at one point. I know this because I have the exact same ones lol. They aren’t hair worms. http://www.realmonstrosities.com/2013/06/spaghetti-worms-and-spaghettier-worms.html?m=1

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

If you look closer and pull some out of the sand! You’ll see the tentacles come out at one point. I know this because I have the exact same ones lol. They aren’t hair worms. http://www.realmonstrosities.com/2013/06/spaghetti-worms-and-spaghettier-worms.html?m=1

Yours may not be hair worms but the OP's is.

 

[Aquatic Jewels]

Yours may not be hair worms but the OP's is.

It is definitely a hair worm. The (gills) run down the length of the thorax. Before I returned it to my tank, I observed the holy hell out of it. I finished reading the article the was posted about them and was very informed. As ispeakforthesea posted above.