Can anyone ID these worms?

**CarmieJo** · 01-29-2007, 01:10 PM

Can anyone ID these worms?

They are only about 1/4" long (at least the part that I can see) and they seem to be anchored in the sand.

***Rob*** · 01-29-2007, 01:54 PM

are you sure they are worms, and not empty tube worm shells?
do they actually move around the sand bed?

**CarmieJo** · 01-29-2007, 02:26 PM

No I think they are alive. They move twisting from side to side, not blowing in the current and they seen to retract into the sand at night. I also have some other small white thread thin worms that are free moving but I think they are baby bristle worms. When I took some out to look at all the white came off like it was actually particles of the substrate.

***lReef lKeeper*** · 01-29-2007, 06:04 PM

do they have long white strings coming out of them ??

**CarmieJo** · 01-29-2007, 06:56 PM

Nope, nothing protrudes. I am sure that they are not vermited snails and they are not like any tube worms I have. What I can see of them is not a tube or case and they are constantly twisting from side to side.

**Seahorsedreams** · 01-30-2007, 01:27 AM

The worms are covered with sediment?

Lemme go remove a pic from my harddrive and put it in photobucket to see if it looks like yours.

**Seahorsedreams** · 01-30-2007, 01:39 AM

I seem to have a bunch of baby bristleworms as well. This one was big as a piece of thread.

**CarmieJo** · 01-30-2007, 09:16 AM

Yeah that is the baby bristle worm, in macro I presume, once it was rinsed off. If the other worms are spinoid woms the tentacles are too tiny for me to see even with macro. I have some other spinoids that live in my LR and all you can see are the tentacles. If they are in the substrate do they twist from side to side with an almost whipping motion?

**Seahorsedreams** · 01-30-2007, 10:30 AM

Drat. You can definately see the tentacles on mine.

Ya, macro lens. He was super super tiny.

**Seahorsedreams** · 01-30-2007, 11:28 AM

Oops Carmie, that worm might not be a bristleworm.... I'm waiting for a positive ID.

**CarmieJo** · 01-30-2007, 03:29 PM

Let me know.

**Seahorsedreams** · 01-30-2007, 07:28 PM

Well, it is not a "bristleworm"

It's a Dorvilleidae and is full grown. Learn something new everyday.

*whispers* and a new critter for the ID guide

**CarmieJo** · 01-30-2007, 08:13 PM

Cool! More diversity is a positive. Here is an article by Shimek that mentions them as being present in his sandbed (are we in good company or what?) and another in Reefkeeping that gives a description.

**Seahorsedreams** · 01-30-2007, 08:56 PM

I love this stuff.

**CarmieJo** · 01-30-2007, 10:44 PM

Me too. Hands on science, how can you beat it?

Paintbug · 01-31-2007, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seahorsedreams

Well, it is not a "bristleworm"

It's a Dorvilleidae and is full grown. Learn something new everyday.

*whispers* and a new critter for the ID guide

i see your pic is now on Chuck's site for them as well