Quote:
Originally Posted by Samw
I can't say for sure that this worm preyed on small fish at night. However all of my small gobies dissappeared over time. Also, something took a bite out of my baby Hippo tang earlier this year. 20% of its body was completely bitten off overnight and I don't think it was from one of my other fishes. I didn't think the tang would survive but given how healthy it was from the start, it survived and has healed 100%. I wish I had taken pictures to show the before and after of the fish to see how amazing the bite and the recovery was. I don't know what else in the tank could have taken that bite. I have seen this worm carry rocks around its cave like they were nothing so it is not hard to imagine this guy grabbing a sleeping fish. I have also lost all of my ricordia and zoas. I feel more confident about buying new corals and gobies now. If I buy a new Ricordia and zoas and they stop getting eaten, and if I buy new gobies and they stop dissappearing then I'm pointing my finger at the worm.
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If you've seen them eat (as I have many times), they have an awesome set of jaws that only become visible just before the grab...but those jaws are kind of like insect mandibles/pincers. They are well designed for "grab and hold", but I just can't see how they would be able to remove any large section of a fish. Certainly not in a single bite. I suppose if it could get a hold of a fish for an extended period of time, it might be able to repeatedly regrasp and leave a good wound when the fish finally escaped.
Shimek has a good article on them at the bottom here:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/rs/index.php
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400 gal reef. Established April, 2007. 3 Sequence Dart, RM12-4 skimmer, 2 x OM4Ways, Yellow Tang, Maroon Clown (pair), Blonde Naso Tang, Vlamingi Tang, Foxface Rabbit, Unicorn Tang, 2 Pakistani Butterflies and a few coral gobies
My Tank:
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=28436