Do skunk cleaner shrimps eat bristle worms?

RFC · 04/22/2006, 07:03 PM

Just wondering if skunk cleaner shrimp eat bristle worms? I have a nice size fuji rock that had crawling with bristle worms but now that my cleaner shrimp hangs out on this rock I rarely see any bristle worms.

Regards

RFC

bertoni · 04/22/2006, 07:05 PM

They sometimes do. So the worms might have been dinner, or been scared into the rock.

Ti · 04/22/2006, 07:44 PM

I've never seen them kill anything to eat.

Avi · 04/22/2006, 08:05 PM

I doubt that they could ever catch a living, healthy, bristle worm. If it were dead or dying, they would probably take it.

Petie · 04/22/2006, 08:24 PM

I used to have a picture of my Skunk eating a live bristle worm but I don't know where it went. My largest Skunk has since eating three I've seen. It's weird to see for sure.

bertoni · 04/22/2006, 09:31 PM

I watched cleaners rip apart amphipods (peppermints, too), and a number of people have reported watching them eat bristleworms. Decapods tend not be be very picky about what they eat. There are exceptions, though, like harlequin shrimp.

Ti · 04/22/2006, 11:26 PM

I could see the eating a dead worm, but I can't imagine them as predators

vibe7 · 10/03/2013, 05:48 AM

spider crab eats bristle and rock worms

peasofme · 10/03/2013, 07:41 AM

more likely the shrimp are eating the worms' food

cloak · 10/03/2013, 11:11 AM

I've never seen a cleaner shrimp eat a bristle worm before, and there's been plenty of times where they were both in the same vicinity. Bristle worms are pretty tough. I don't think a cleaner shrimp has enough strength in there tiny claws to rip the worms apart. I doubt they're eating the worms whole either. JMO.

ExtremeTang · 10/03/2013, 11:13 AM

Arrow crab works for me. They are cheaper than cleaner shrimp

TankStudy · 10/03/2013, 01:14 PM

My breeding pair of cleaner shrimps destroys pods by the hundreds, lol.

HookedOnReefing · 02/19/2020, 02:51 PM

Reviving an ancient post. But saw my skunk cleaner shrimp catch and destroy a small (2 inches) bristle worm.

04/22/2006, 07:03 PM	#1
RFC Moved On Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 157	Do skunk cleaner shrimps eat bristle worms? Just wondering if skunk cleaner shrimp eat bristle worms? I have a nice size fuji rock that had crawling with bristle worms but now that my cleaner shrimp hangs out on this rock I rarely see any bristle worms. Regards RFC

04/22/2006, 07:05 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	They sometimes do. So the worms might have been dinner, or been scared into the rock. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

04/22/2006, 07:44 PM	#3
Ti Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 7,927	I've never seen them kill anything to eat. __________________ Hair algae is my Macro algae.

04/22/2006, 08:05 PM	#4
Avi Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Westchester County, NY Posts: 7,327	I doubt that they could ever catch a living, healthy, bristle worm. If it were dead or dying, they would probably take it. __________________ I'd keep the whole ocean if my den were big enough Current Tank Info: 120 gallon reef with 210 lbs. of live rock, Aqua-C EV180 Skimmer, Aquactinic double 250W MH with blue plus t5 support; 58 gallon freshwater planted tank using CO2 and T5s; 30-gallon cube with a few fancy goldfish; and a 110 gallon FOWLR

04/22/2006, 08:24 PM	#5
Petie Home for the unusual! Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Rockford, IL Posts: 146	I used to have a picture of my Skunk eating a live bristle worm but I don't know where it went. My largest Skunk has since eating three I've seen. It's weird to see for sure. __________________ Cherish (Yes it is the name on my birth certificate and NO i'm not a stripper!) Abnormality is the Normality for this Locality. :) Boycott Shampoo! Demand real Poo! Current Tank Info: Gone since the second flood 8-07

04/22/2006, 09:31 PM	#6
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I watched cleaners rip apart amphipods (peppermints, too), and a number of people have reported watching them eat bristleworms. Decapods tend not be be very picky about what they eat. There are exceptions, though, like harlequin shrimp. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

04/22/2006, 11:26 PM	#7
Ti Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 7,927	I could see the eating a dead worm, but I can't imagine them as predators __________________ Hair algae is my Macro algae.

10/03/2013, 05:48 AM	#8
vibe7 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 9	spider crab eats bristle and rock worms

10/03/2013, 07:41 AM	#9
peasofme Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: usa Posts: 1,405	more likely the shrimp are eating the worms' food

10/03/2013, 11:11 AM	#10
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	I've never seen a cleaner shrimp eat a bristle worm before, and there's been plenty of times where they were both in the same vicinity. Bristle worms are pretty tough. I don't think a cleaner shrimp has enough strength in there tiny claws to rip the worms apart. I doubt they're eating the worms whole either. JMO.

10/03/2013, 11:13 AM	#11
ExtremeTang Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 10	Arrow crab works for me. They are cheaper than cleaner shrimp

10/03/2013, 01:14 PM	#12
TankStudy Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 242	My breeding pair of cleaner shrimps destroys pods by the hundreds, lol. __________________ Until there is sufficient evidence supporting your fish-craft, I don't agree with you.

02/19/2020, 02:51 PM	#13
HookedOnReefing Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West York, Illinois Posts: 315	Reviving an ancient post. But saw my skunk cleaner shrimp catch and destroy a small (2 inches) bristle worm.