Xenia - worm parasites?

[Reefmack]

Hi. A couple of days ago I noticed a long white stringy thing waving around on my Xenia colony. At first I thought it was a piece of a slime thread, then saw that it had a bit of a banded, segmented appearance. When a fish swam nearby it quicly zipped back into a tube that appears to be a normal strand of Xenia with no polyp on the end. I'm guessing it's some type of worm parasite. Anyone ever seen anything like this? I've been trying to get a picture of it, but haven't been successful in seeing it extended again, although there are a few of these polypless tubes on the Xenia.

 

[Reef Ghost]

Terry I have been keeping Xenia for several years now and haven't seen anything at all attack it. I do see a light colored thin segmented worm at night going thru the rock however but it doesn't seem to grow any larger. Maybe 1/64 - 1/32 dia by 3.5" long? Never seen it pay any attention to anything at all either. Bottom line is this, just when you think you have seen it all, something really freaky comes out says hello!
Len

 

[cbrownfish]

I once had a feather duster growing out of a xenia. Originally, I thought that it somehow attached to it and grew inside. Later, I was able to determine that the tube worm was actually on the rock and the xenia simply grew over it. They lived like that for a while but eventually the worm lost the battle. Could the xenia have grown over some sort of tube worm like mine did?

 

[cbrownfish]

.....although there are a few of these polypless tubes on the Xenia.

Hmmmm, just read that line more closely. Must be some sort of tube worm, hydroid, or Spionid.

 

[Reefmack]

Hmmmm, just read that line more closely. Must be some sort of tube worm, hydroid, or Spionid.

My thoughts also. The "tube" this thing popped out of is part of the Xenia itself - one of the think stalks that would normally have a polyp on the tip, except a long, white, worm appearing critter lives in it. I can't seem to get a picture of the critter itself but will try to get a picture of the stalks I'm talking about. I'm wondering if the worm ate the polyp off of the end. Weird!