any ID on this worm like thing?

[Phil D. Bowl]

Found this blue worm-like creature swimming across the upper part of my water column before crash landing in the spot you see here in the photo... he swam with a wriggling motion like a water snake... hes about 1 inch long and looks more like a caterpillar than a worm really... maybe some kind of sea slug? but do they swim?

I just wonder if it'll get big and if its reef safe... :hmm3:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eqtmGbAYPbw/TsH_gCroSiI/AAAAAAAAAHo/fmuwNYc_FLA/s1152/2011-11-14_21-54-06_787.jpg

[Phil D. Bowl]

nothing tonight.. watched for a while with my flashlight handy and didn't spot him..

[kingfisher62]

I had some of those years ago and some orange ones also. They can quickly spiral though the water. Never figured out what they were.

[Gorgok]

Just looks like a blue bristle worm... I hope its a good one, and i wish i had some other colors than the orange ones =C. I found someone else had some blue ones:

http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww332/Ojomrog/th_5685943485_c0ae225107_b.jpg (http://s733.photobucket.com/albums/ww332/Ojomrog/?action=view&current=5685943485_c0ae225107_b.jpg) http://i733.photobucket.com/albums/ww332/Ojomrog/th_5685944123_17110a2cff_b.jpg (http://s733.photobucket.com/albums/ww332/Ojomrog/?action=view&current=5685944123_17110a2cff_b.jpg)

[Phil D. Bowl]

@Gorgok he didn't seem to have the locomotion of a bristle worm but you may be right. he was also lacking noticeable hairs or bristles though he had nubs as you can see in the picture, witch he could be young and they could be un-developed so again im not arguing im just explaining why i thought he was not a bristle worm from the get go.

I wish i had a better picture.... and im up again at 1am trying to see if i can spot him LMAO.

@Kingfisher did the ones you had ever cause any problems? he doesn't seem to be large enough or precise enough in locomotion to be a major threat to the tank. but you never know! he could be toxic to anything he touches or something like most super vivid critters in a reef system.

[kingfisher62]

I suspected that they might have bristle worms but never comfirmed. No issues Phil , just a few sighting in the early stages of my first marine tank. Then did not see after that.
Found some pics of mine , here they were only about a 3rd of an inch!

[kingfisher62]

Sorry, meant to attach larger pic. here ya go!

click on below pics, to enlarge

[brian762]

Are you sure its a worm and not an arm of a bristle star?

[Phil D. Bowl]

out of the 100s of pics ive looked over in an attempt to ID this guy...
Kingfisher has one pic there that almost looks spot on. looks like the guys in that pick have noticeably larger bristles but still .. that's as close as ive seen!

Now do you have a solid ID on them? are they bristle worms? i know there's a ton of different kinds..

Edit: oops i see you didn't ever get an ID... my bad... need coffee!

[Sk8r]

CHeck out the Invertebrates forum and I think you'll see another pic.

I don't worry about any worm that has a very small mouth, aka bristleworms and their ilk. The bad one (eunicid) has tentacles around the mouth, ergo a way to hold on. Most bristle-types have just a little soda-straw of a mouth, and the only way they can eat is by sucking slime. You'll see them grab a food pellet now and again, but they're holding it by suction and waiting for it to dissolve: pretty clever, for a worm without anything but a few companionable neurons.