Worms That Infest Polyps

[loonz]

Hi guys, just notice thats a kind of worm thats been infesting my button polyps recently and causing the polyps not to open up...they are flat and small with pointy stuff on their backs....will get a pic if I could...anybody encountered similar experience?

[SharkBait]

Hi guys, just notice thats a kind of worm thats been infesting my button polyps recently and causing the polyps not to open up...they are flat and small with pointy stuff on their backs....will get a pic if I could...anybody encountered similar experience?

Nudibranch?

[loonz]

Come to think of it...they do look like nudibranchs..but just way smaller...biggest one i caught was about 5-6mm..give them time to grow???

[SharkBait]

Come to think of it...they do look like nudibranchs..but just way smaller...biggest one i caught was about 5-6mm..give them time to grow???

yah,buy them lotsa corals to munch on while your at it.

[bawater]

i was plagued by them last year. i did the reading and it wasn't good.i did take pics a yr ago but i think i deleted them already cause i can't find them. i was curious to know what the hell they were so i let them mate. and lost about 4 colonies of zoos.

If its eating your buttons(they crawl on to the individual button & suck the juice out of it), especially the red or browns ones- see if its the same type as in the pics below.

It is in the family of Aeolids Nudibranch .

The aeolid cnidosac is one of the most remarkable examples of recycling in the animal kingdom. These animals eat cnidarians and are then able to retain, at least some of the stinging cells (nematocysts},from the cnidarian, in a functional state so that they are able to reuse them in their own defence.

Each species of nudibranch has a specific food source from which it derives these nematocysts. Therefore the addition of a single or small number of the same species of nudibranchs is not likely to decimate the entire invertebrate community. However, if these animals do find a coral to their liking it is very likely that the entire coral colony will be consumed if steps are not taken to remove the nudibranchs from the colony. Due to their poisonous nature these animals have few enemies and therefore will feed both during the day and at night. As a result they are relatively easy to see and attempt to remove.

Despite being common, little is known about its biology except that it has small white eggs from which planktotrophic larvae hatch. They lay these eggs in circular or crescent shape patterns on the glass(the whole egg patch no bigger than 1mm)

They are able to mate once they reach 4mm . i found the biggest to be 7mm

They will crawl onto the front glass, and as soon as you see them- remove them WITH PINCERS. you can either squash them in a tissue or throw in a container of freshwater.

When disturbed,the larger animals in particular, will bristle their cerata, and shake them about. i do not think you want them stuck in your fingers. i never tried

Weird thing is, they never touch my green zoos which i have had for yrs.

hmm..

[Achilles Tang]

Oh these guys... i had them before... yeah they love to attack zoos.

I don't recommend squashing them with your finger. One reefer in RC did just that and ended up in hospital ICU because of toxicity reaction.

[seamonkee]

Haha! I just got the same problem... AT, can remove my thread or not? The one titled "Slug Fest"....

[Limpc]

Hi,

Got the same problem. After lights out, those creatures become more active.

What I did for continuous few nights .... remove the buttons from the tank, using a pincher and a magnifying glass, remove whatever I can find.

LimPC

[FuEl]

Wow..such adorable little things...

[Fireclown]

Just saw those in my refugium a couple of days ago. They are yellow with lots of spiky thingy on their back. Wasn't sure whether to remove it. Can't find it now though. Too bad SRC was down then, if not i would had posted this questions too.

[Clownfish]

Oh these guys... i had them before... yeah they love to attack zoos.

I don't recommend squashing them with your finger. One reefer in RC did just that and ended up in hospital ICU because of toxicity reaction.

[jOO]

haha.. juz caught one.. saw it on the glass when the lights were out but my study lamp was on..

now the fella 'swimming' in a mug of plain drinking water... no wonder the polyps will suddenly close for no reason and then open again..