This Worm is Building a Cave

[TheReeferer]

Not sure if it's a bristle worm. It's about 5in long and is pink in color. It has four long tentacles around the mouth region.

It likes to hide in the rock crevasse but also sucks up sand and bits of rock to pull back to the crevasse opening. It's been doing this for awhile now and just today I noticed the crevasse to be sealed up by rock bits.

Doesn't prey on Amphipods which seems to be living in the same hole as this guy... :debi:

What kind of worm is this?

[pryorrods]

It sounds like either a fire or bristle worm. One thing I've noticed is that the behavoir of many worms changes as they get bigger. Many worms, when smaller, seem to be perfectly safe, but begin to be more destructive as they grow. Even a "safe" worm can start to become destructive simply by the way many dump sand (on corals) as they feed. Most only come out after the lights are off, so you may not know exactly how destructive they may be. If in doubt, take it out. I usually steal a pair of my wife's pantyhose and cut off a foot. I put a piece of fresh shrimp inside and tie it off. Put it in the tank at lights out and the worms come out. They get stuck on the nylon material and are easy to remove.

[rehab]

You could Google eunicid worm and see if yours fitnthe description. Either way i would take it out. Four long tentacles protruding from mouth region does not sound friendly to me. That along with building cave make me think predatory by nature. Ref sharks live with reef fishes too. They just snacks on heir neighbour when hungry so your amphipods living with the worm doesn't mean that the worm is friendly.

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