I.D. Please. There is a caterpillar in my tank.

vdituri · 06-05-2007, 12:45 AM

Will it grow up to be a beautiful butterfly?

Anyone know what it is? About 1 inch long.

Dentoid · 06-05-2007, 12:52 AM

reefer3 · 06-05-2007, 12:56 AM

Looks like scale worm on this ID page. It does'nt say much about them except they creat a case like a feather duster and that there a predator and scavanger. Does'nt say if there reef safe or not. Here is the link it's the 10th row of pics down.Worm Hitch Hikers

vdituri · 06-05-2007, 12:58 AM

Thats what I thought. Glad I quarantined the macro algae rock. Turned it over and this guy crawled back inside the rock. Tonight I smacked the rock with a hammer and tore it asunder to extracate him/her/it. I searched first for hours before posting, but I can't find a worm that looks like this. Hmmmm? I wonder if the fish will eat him?

reefer3 · 06-05-2007, 12:59 AM

Well it says at the top of the scale worm group they sometime live with anemones and corals but eat small crustations, echinoderms, polychaetes, gastropods, sponges and hydroids. So I would guess its reef safe but cant say for sure.

sasquatch · 06-05-2007, 12:59 AM

Thats that thing from Wrath of Khan keep your ears covered lol

vdituri · 06-05-2007, 01:00 AM

Scale worm! Wish mine was as pretty as the yellow one? Now I need to do some more research. Thanks.
Karma to you!

reefer3 · 06-05-2007, 01:00 AM

That link I posted is a great site for find names but not a whole lot of info. I have been able to ID some thing I couldnt find anywere else and then look it up by name to find more info.

vdituri · 06-05-2007, 01:21 AM

Steve, you're getting negative karma for giving me nightmares. Thanks. lol

vdituri · 06-05-2007, 01:23 AM

Yes, I agree. Great I.D. site for worms. Thanks again. I still haven't decided if he gets out of the bowl or not. More reading is needed.
None of my googles so far has anything negative about them. Just says predatory and mentions pods. Nothing about fish, corals, small children etc.

charlesr1958 · 06-05-2007, 08:30 AM

Yup, scaleworm

The Polynoidae - The polynoids known commonly as "scale worms" are slow moving predators which feed on small prey such as small crustaceans, echinoderms, polychaetes, gastropods, sponges and hydroids in spite of their strong jaws. They are famous for their commensal habits, some living with asteroids, echinoids, holothorians, sea anemone, sea grasses and corals. They are known as scale-worms as their dorsal surface is covered with enlarged scales or elytra which may be concealed by a dense coating of setae. They are medium sized. They are secretive and are mostly found occupying tight crevices beneath stones. Some species are commensals in the burrows and tubes of other invertebrates or the shells of hermit crabs.

The above info is about as much as I was told (Leslie Harris-natural history museum, LA) and/ or could find about the habits of this family of worms. Reef safe? No, I say that only because to me, a reef includes a great deal of critters other than just corals and I try to avoid predation as much as possible.

Chuck

reefer3 · 06-05-2007, 11:55 AM

Hay your the one I got the site from. It has great pics and alot of ID but is there anyway could mark whats reef safe and your thought on the reason there not reef safe. Thats main reason I look up the name is to find out if there reef safe or not. Other than that GREAT SITE!!

vdituri · 06-05-2007, 12:46 PM

Thanks for the info Chuck.
He's going to live in the QT tank.
He can predate his day lights out in there.

LeslieH · 06-05-2007, 05:07 PM

Hi guys --
Scott gave me a heads-up about Victor's post. Nice worm & nice photo, Victor. Chuck and anyone else who said it's a polynoid scaleworm is absolutely right. Unfortunately I can't id it past family without the worm in front of me as many of the generic and species level characters are too small to be seen without a microscope. It is a predator but only on smaller worms, crustaceans, etc., so it's quite reef safe as far as corals are concerned.

There are several families of scaleworms. The ones that create cases/tubes belong to family Sigalionalidae. And the ones that have the scales concealed by a dense cover of setae (bristles) are family Aphroditidae, commonly called "sea mice".

Dentoid · 06-05-2007, 05:14 PM

Wow! Thanks Leslie, that was fast!

06-05-2007, 12:52 AM	#2 (permalink)
Dentoid Over Achiever Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Virginia Posts: 10,827 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: I.D. Please. There is a caterpillar in my tank. Ewe! __________________ Scott Dentoid's Reeforama

06-05-2007, 12:56 AM	#3 (permalink)
reefer3 Limpet Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 132 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: I.D. Please. There is a caterpillar in my tank. Looks like scale worm on this ID page. It does'nt say much about them except they creat a case like a feather duster and that there a predator and scavanger. Does'nt say if there reef safe or not. Here is the link it's the 10th row of pics down.Worm Hitch Hikers

06-05-2007, 12:58 AM	#4 (permalink)
vdituri Excellent Guesser :D Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Sacramento California Posts: 5,783 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: I.D. Please. There is a caterpillar in my tank. Thats what I thought. Glad I quarantined the macro algae rock. Turned it over and this guy crawled back inside the rock. Tonight I smacked the rock with a hammer and tore it asunder to extracate him/her/it. I searched first for hours before posting, but I can't find a worm that looks like this. Hmmmm? I wonder if the fish will eat him? __________________ Victor ----- People come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

06-05-2007, 12:59 AM	#5 (permalink)
reefer3 Limpet Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 132 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: I.D. Please. There is a caterpillar in my tank. Well it says at the top of the scale worm group they sometime live with anemones and corals but eat small crustations, echinoderms, polychaetes, gastropods, sponges and hydroids. So I would guess its reef safe but cant say for sure.

06-05-2007, 12:59 AM	#6 (permalink)
sasquatch Brunt of all Jokes~ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: the very farthest west coast of canada Posts: 8,917 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: I.D. Please. There is a caterpillar in my tank. Thats that thing from Wrath of Khan keep your ears covered lol

06-05-2007, 01:00 AM	#7 (permalink)
vdituri Excellent Guesser :D Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Sacramento California Posts: 5,783 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: I.D. Please. There is a caterpillar in my tank. Scale worm! Wish mine was as pretty as the yellow one? Now I need to do some more research. Thanks. Karma to you! __________________ Victor ----- People come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

06-05-2007, 01:00 AM	#8 (permalink)
reefer3 Limpet Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 132 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: I.D. Please. There is a caterpillar in my tank. That link I posted is a great site for find names but not a whole lot of info. I have been able to ID some thing I couldnt find anywere else and then look it up by name to find more info.

06-05-2007, 01:21 AM	#9 (permalink)
vdituri Excellent Guesser :D Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Sacramento California Posts: 5,783 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: I.D. Please. There is a caterpillar in my tank. Steve, you're getting negative karma for giving me nightmares. Thanks. lol __________________ Victor ----- People come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

06-05-2007, 01:23 AM	#10 (permalink)
vdituri Excellent Guesser :D Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Sacramento California Posts: 5,783 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: I.D. Please. There is a caterpillar in my tank. Yes, I agree. Great I.D. site for worms. Thanks again. I still haven't decided if he gets out of the bowl or not. More reading is needed. None of my googles so far has anything negative about them. Just says predatory and mentions pods. Nothing about fish, corals, small children etc. __________________ Victor ----- People come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

06-05-2007, 08:30 AM	#11 (permalink)
charlesr1958 Cabbage Leather Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mactan Island, The Philippines Posts: 359 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: I.D. Please. There is a caterpillar in my tank. Yup, scaleworm The Polynoidae - The polynoids known commonly as "scale worms" are slow moving predators which feed on small prey such as small crustaceans, echinoderms, polychaetes, gastropods, sponges and hydroids in spite of their strong jaws. They are famous for their commensal habits, some living with asteroids, echinoids, holothorians, sea anemone, sea grasses and corals. They are known as scale-worms as their dorsal surface is covered with enlarged scales or elytra which may be concealed by a dense coating of setae. They are medium sized. They are secretive and are mostly found occupying tight crevices beneath stones. Some species are commensals in the burrows and tubes of other invertebrates or the shells of hermit crabs. The above info is about as much as I was told (Leslie Harris-natural history museum, LA) and/ or could find about the habits of this family of worms. Reef safe? No, I say that only because to me, a reef includes a great deal of critters other than just corals and I try to avoid predation as much as possible. Chuck __________________ __________________________________________ Chuck's Addiction Reef & Reef Aquarium Articles and Links

06-05-2007, 11:55 AM	#12 (permalink)
reefer3 Limpet Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 132 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: I.D. Please. There is a caterpillar in my tank. Hay your the one I got the site from. It has great pics and alot of ID but is there anyway could mark whats reef safe and your thought on the reason there not reef safe. Thats main reason I look up the name is to find out if there reef safe or not. Other than that GREAT SITE!!

06-05-2007, 12:46 PM	#13 (permalink)
vdituri Excellent Guesser :D Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Sacramento California Posts: 5,783 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: I.D. Please. There is a caterpillar in my tank. Thanks for the info Chuck. He's going to live in the QT tank. He can predate his day lights out in there. __________________ Victor ----- People come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

06-05-2007, 05:07 PM	#14 (permalink)
LeslieH Tunicate Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 17 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: I.D. Please. There is a caterpillar in my tank. Hi guys -- Scott gave me a heads-up about Victor's post. Nice worm & nice photo, Victor. Chuck and anyone else who said it's a polynoid scaleworm is absolutely right. Unfortunately I can't id it past family without the worm in front of me as many of the generic and species level characters are too small to be seen without a microscope. It is a predator but only on smaller worms, crustaceans, etc., so it's quite reef safe as far as corals are concerned. There are several families of scaleworms. The ones that create cases/tubes belong to family Sigalionalidae. And the ones that have the scales concealed by a dense cover of setae (bristles) are family Aphroditidae, commonly called "sea mice".

06-05-2007, 05:14 PM	#15 (permalink)
Dentoid Over Achiever Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Virginia Posts: 10,827 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: I.D. Please. There is a caterpillar in my tank. Wow! Thanks Leslie, that was fast! __________________ Scott Dentoid's Reeforama

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