The Bristle Worm: Reef Guardian or Aquarium Nightmare?
Rob Mougey1 day ago
In the meticulous world of marine reef keeping, few creatures evoke a more visceral reaction than the bristle worm (Polychaeta). Usually discovered during a late-night flashlight raid on the tank, these segmented, subterranean scavengers often look like something out of a low-budget sci-fi horror film.
However, before you reach for the tweezers in a panic, it is important to understand that the “bristle worm” is not a single entity, but a diverse class of thousands of species. In the home aquarium, they are more often classified unsung heroes than they are villains.
A recent blog post by Julian Sprung brings that common wisdom into question. Are these scavengers more predatory than we’ve been led to believe? His observations of polyp bailout and the resulting loss of Euphyllia and Fimbriaphyllia (Torch, Hammer & Frogspawn) corals may in fact rest at the pharyngeal apparatus of these polychaete invaders.
For more information and more photos:
The Bristle Worm: Reef Guardian or Aquarium Nightmare? | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog
In the meticulous world of marine reef keeping, few creatures evoke a more visceral reaction than the bristle worm (Polychaeta). Usually discovered during a late-night flashlight raid on the tank…
reefbuilders.com