Bristle worms

1bigstud · #1 03-24-2006, 04:23 AM

Well I always knew I had bristle worms in my tank, but last night I went to check on my seahare and noticed quite a few large ones. Any one have opinions on britsle worms???

Yay? or
Nay?

Rick.

G1GY · #2 03-24-2006, 04:33 AM

Detritus eaters. Good to have.

untamed · #3 03-24-2006, 06:09 AM

[quote]Any one have opinions on britsle worms???[\quote]

I think everyone has opinions about bristle worms. You're not going to get a definitive answer on that one.

McNasty · #4 03-24-2006, 07:16 AM

love em and leave em be

Samw · #5 03-24-2006, 07:48 AM

I have an overpopulation of them. The ones that I have eat zoos and probably other corals. I watched them eat a huge patch of my zoos as they got hungrier due to my reduced feedings in my tank.

http://www.bluforman.com/intertidal/...plantapage.htm

"The orange fireworm likes to eat corals, molluscs and other worms. "

http://www.aquariumfish.com/aquarium...d=3791&search=

"A more deadly bristleworm, and possibly the cause of the damage to your gorgonian, is the fireworm (Hermodice carunculata). This species attains a maximum length in excess of 12 inches and has powerful jaws that they use to feed on gorgonians, the tissues of hard corals, zoanthids, anemones, mushroom anemones, clams and fan worms. Injured cnidarians are particularly vulnerable to fireworm attack, because they release olfactory cues that attract these predators. However, these worms do not restrict their attacks to unhealthy invertebrates, as you have witnessed in your aquarium with your gorgonian. "

http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/msu...a/aa102198.htm

"They are not selective about what they eat, but usually prey on all types of other motile (moving) and sessile (attached or stationary) invertebrates, such as corals, crustaceans, mollusks, sedentary type as well as other errant type bristleworms. "

untamed · #6 03-25-2006, 05:25 AM

Yes..yes sounds terrible...

But few people are qualified to tell the difference between the various types. Certainly, some of them could be descructive. My rule is that if you catch the worm in the act of doing something you can't live with, THEN remove it. Generally, I believe that most of them are useful critters to have around.

I have not seen a bristleworm with "jaws"... Eunicid worm, sure...but that is a VERY different looking beasty that most wouldn't consider a bristleworm. (although they could be related) If you had one of those, you wouldn't immediately think it was a bristleworm.