Found Bobbit Worm during frag search

Tavero

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During the night two zoa frags went missing. I suspect the were ripped off by a hermit, frag or snail. During my search for then I found this fella.



I restarted my tank 6 months ago and redid my rock scape with additional live rock. So he was introduced there I think. When I pulled him out he broke into several pieces but together it's around 15cm long. Still small for a Bobbit Worm but I guess with that rate of growth he would have reached one feet in a few more months. Hopefully I got all parts out.

Btw I found one of the frags I was looking for in a cave unharmed. The second is probably gone though. Maybe buried already by some digging snails or stuck in a crevice.
 
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AlyciaMarie

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Glad you found the one frag at least! I can't see the video but bobbit worms are what nightmares are made of...

Steve Carell Ew GIF by Focus Features
 
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Tavero

Tavero

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That might be a rather large Dorvillidae worm. Are there 4 or 5 antennae, and do they stick straight out from the head or are they curved backwards?
4 antenna. They stick out sideways and to the front.
 
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Tavero

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Nah,
But, could also be this monster
"This worm exudes a type of toxic paralyzing ooze both for attack and defense. "

The worm was extremely slimy when I pulled him out. The slime was so thick, smaller parts of the worm got stuck to the tweezers.
Now that I think about it, I lost a few Stomatella snails in the last month, but I thought they died of natural causes
 
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Tavero

Tavero

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Read my post above. Not knowing the true identity, i wouldn't touch. That's no dorvilleidae.
Oh trust me, I would never touch it without tweezers. It also took the porcelain express already. I just hope that's the only one. It was a completely accidental find.
 

ISpeakForTheSeas

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Perhaps time to call in the big guns on this one. Better to know for sure. @ISpeakForTheSeas @EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal can you help with a positive ID on OP's worm?
In this case, I'm inclined to agree with Dorvilleid worm - it doesn't have the signature 5 tentacles or the right coloration for a bobbit or similar, and it has cephalic tentacles which eliminates Oenone fulgida or similar.
 
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In this case, I'm inclined to agree with Dorvilleid worm - it doesn't have the signature 5 tentacles or the right coloration for a bobbit or similar, and it has cephalic tentacles which eliminates Oenone fulgida or similar.
So...harmless in case there is another one i'm unable to find?
 

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

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Perhaps time to call in the big guns on this one. Better to know for sure. @ISpeakForTheSeas @EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal can you help with a positive ID on OP's worm?
While I greatly appreciate being put in the same category as @ISpeakForTheSeas , I'm more of a water pistol at best ;)
Most of the things I correctly identify are critters that he ID'd at one point - I'm just repeating the info :)
(But feel free to tag me - if nothing else, I can give a somewhat educated guess )
 

ISpeakForTheSeas

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While I greatly appreciate being put in the same category as @ISpeakForTheSeas , I'm more of a water pistol at best ;)
Most of the things I correctly identify are critters that he ID'd at one point - I'm just repeating the info :)
(But feel free to tag me - if nothing else, I can give a somewhat educated guess )
Haha, you're better than you think you are, and I've found that I've still got a lot to learn!
 

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