Giant Sea Worm

[warforged]

I read about this a few days ago I thought i share it here to. Crazy stuff.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...rium-staff-mysterious-attacks-coral-reef.html

 

[returnofsid]

I read about that the other day also, on a different website and they didn't have pics. I was bummed that there weren't any pics!! After seeing these pics, I wish I hadn't!!!!

 

[jake65]

Reminds me of the worm that was in Steve Weasts system (6-7')
http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm

 

[warforged]

I never thought that something that large went unnoticed for so long...

 

[roscoe]

That is some nasty looking worm and powerfull too! It's amazing that it chewed right through a 20lb test fishing line and ate bait full of hooks and is still alive! I never imagined a worm can eat fish.

 

[ReefJunkie]

Sounds like a good April Fools story to me.

 

[returnofsid]

Oh it's not. I read it about a week ago. I'll tell ya, if I ever found anything even 1/4 that size in any of my tanks, I'm going back to strictly freshwater!!!

 

[Rod Buehler]

I pulled a 7 footer out of a 72 bow front.. Pics around here somewhere. Ill see if I can find them.They can actually be a very cool looking creature..

 

[roscoe]

I pulled a 7 footer out of a 72 bow front.. Pics around here somewhere. Ill see if I can find them.They can actually be a very cool looking creature..

Uuggggh you actually touched that thing? What was it's girth in the 72g? How did you dispose of it?

 

[reedman]

I had one that was over a foot come out of mine.....never knew it was there until I removed the rock to scrub it. be careful where you put your fingers

 

[Chichas01]

Sounds like a good April Fools story to me.

No joke. Guy in Oregon found one in his reef about the same size:
http://www.oregonreef.com/sub_worm.htm

 

[packer]

I have one in my tank. Its about 9 inches long and I have tried to trap and grab it with large tweezers in the dark of night. No luck so far. He resides in my base rock and removal of it is not an option, as my rock is epoxied together and SPS are encrusted everywhere. Mine is an Eunice or bobbit worm and loves to munch zoas.

 

[StacyS]

Surely there was a better name than "Barry" for that thing...perhaps Medusa or something.
Packer, can you make a trap out of plexiglass fo that thing?

 

[Rod Buehler]

Here are the pics, but the story goes along well..

One Saturday afternoon as I am preparing to give a presentation for a local club, my answering machine pics up a call from a frantic woman. (the ringer was off on the phone). I have already spoke with this woman about a big worm in her tank that I told her was beneficial. (I had no idea..)

On the answering machine that 30+ people were listening to, as I was in the back..

"" (yelling loudly a mother of 3) Rod, you gotta get this freaking worm outta my friggin tank NOW!!!.. Its Effin HUGE and I am FREAKED!!.. "

the 30 people really got a kick out of her message and told me that I needed to call her..

The next day, I went to her house with a pair of hemostats, a large glass beaker and a bucket..

After about 30 minutes and removing 70% of her rock from her 72 bow, I had the worm pinched in with my hemos. .. I pulled out a worm that was over 12" (the piece in the lower right of the first pic below).. Joanne and her youngest daughter were pretty were very squeamish from the time I started. Having been in the hobby for a lot of years and seeing a lot of big worms. I was getting a kick out of it. :razz:

I said
" Joanne.. Bad news.. This worm has no head, meaning I didnt get it all"

Joanne.. "NO (four letter word goes here) !! I told you that its HUGE)"

Me " HAHAH.. relax.. we'll get it.."

Joanne " I dunno..

After having a piece that is over 12" in the bucket.. I finally trap the other half in the back left corner by the overflow.. the piece (more of the *tail) that is extending toward the front is almost reaching the front corner so thats another 12".. Just as I get a good hold, both girls start screaming

"Its climbing out!!!!"".

I have near 12 " trapped on the left side, with 48" going across the back of the tank, and another 12 climbing the wall on the right side of the tank.. Add tha tto the 12" that is already in the bucket.. WOW.. I couldn't get it to stretch to 7 foot in the pics below, but you can see that its 4' when not stretched..

Its actually a pretty worm

 

[fatboyt123]

THAT THING IS HUGE

i still cant believe they can go unoticed for so long

for it being so ugly your right it is kinda pretty lol

 

[packer]

They stay hidden until dark of night. Any light or movement will send them blasting back into the rock, and they are as fast as small bristle worms if not faster. Blink and you will miss it even at 12 inches long. I have caught mine "out" at night and tried to grab him but have only gotten about an inch of tail. He has a specific rock home and peers out the holes at night but as soon as light hits him he retreats. I have tried to invent different ways to trap him, but no luck yet. My latest is 16 inches of 1/2 tube on a capped off sand vaccuum, hoping he will get into it and I can grab it out prior to a retreat. I have baited it with shrimp and a silverside, but no luck getting him and the bait is still present in the am. He really munches my zoo's so I need to get him, but removing the rock is impossible as it is the bottom large piece he calls home and all my rock is epoxied together and well encrusted with SPS coral. I have read that they like to have body contact with the rock and tunnels and do not really venture out into the open, so I am hoping it will feel secure moving thru the 1/2 inch tubing, but it might feel too slick to him and thats why he avoids going into it. I stick one end right on a hole he peers out of so he cant come out that way unless he goes into the tube. Hopefully I can post some photos of his capture SOON !!