Large bristleworm bothering anemone?
 

So as you may or may not know, I have an M. doreensis that has never eaten and recently has been moving a wee bit and not digging back into the sand. I was worried it wasn't happy because of flow, lighting or because I wasn't giving it exactly what it wanted to eat. The other day, however, I observed a very large bristleworm coming out from under the rock the anemone is in front of. Tonight I saw the worm again, this time basically under the anemone. I am wondering if the worm is bothering the anemone, hence why it keeps moving or making like it is going to move and refusing to dig in? I could easily relocate the anemone if that is a good plan or I could leave it - there is no way I will be able to get at that bristleworm though. Any thoughts?

I did read that some worms ate anemones. Might wanna try moving it.

IYWMO,
I would set a trap for that :evil: sucker

I also read once somewhere about certain worms eating anemones, I think it was in an Ocean Frontiers article :rolleyes:

If it's the wrong kind of worm, then nothing may be safe on your sandbed, or it might go hunting and crawling up through the rockwork:eek:

i have at least one foot long bristle worm and it doesn't seem to both my anems. i couldn't say what would happen if he got REALLY hungry though.

Yes, but how many fish has it consumed! :razz: :mrgreen:

Bristleworms historically go after things that are dead or dying. I am wondering if that is the problem. :question: I would think a healthy anemone would just eat a worm that was bothering it. :eek:

We too often call every bristly worm a bristleworm. There are way too many species to clump them together like that. There are some worms, with bristles, that will actively prey on anemones/snails/clams/etc. Moving the prey might not help in a small glass box. Catching the worm might be better.

good point, i mean, look at the BRAD variety of bristly worm

I have millions of bristleworms and they would hang out under my LTA all the time, cleaning up crap and debris. I have photographs of them crawling around the mouth cleaning it. Certainly my type of bristleworms did him no harm whatsoever..