Lightening fast worm... id?

My setup is very new - only about 2.5 weeks into the initial cycle. The only thing in the tank right now is about 100 pounds of live rock. So far I've had a couple bristle worms which I scooped out (ugly buggers) and some button polyps and feather dusters - but nothing that "moves"... So tonight I see this worm whipping around the tank - I mean FAST. I could barely track it's movements. He had the misfortune of getting too close to my overflow and ended up in the filter sock in the sump. I took a look around but had no luck id'ing it. Any thoughts?

P.S. I gotta tell you I am glad it is out of the tank!

 

ewww its horrible! I'm thinking Eucnid - altho im not sure. Either way put in the bog.

 

It almost looks like a "peanut" worm. Eunice worms will have "legs", segments and a sci fi movie looking mouth!! Watch out for them!

 

ugly buggar......looks almost like a larva. nothing i'v ever seen

 

When it was swimming was it wiggling and writhing? I saw all the fish in my tank go crazy one day and it turns out that I had this fast moving worm whipping around. It too got sucked up in the overflow. I don't use filter socks so I never found it. Looks similar but sorry I can't help you ID it.

 

That thing is UGLY. Go fishing with it. As far as ID goes, I've only ever had bristle worms and a happy peanut worm. All I can say is that thing is definately NOT a peanut worm haha.

 

It was moving *way* too fast to really even see it not to mention trying to figure out how it was propelling itself. Although once it was all relaxed and comfy in the filter sock it did look like the whole body kind of "pulsed" - like it would "screw" through the water.

 

that thing looks pretty wild. karma for the catch

 

Its a bristle worm that has morphed into its reproductive mode known as a swarmer. They lose all their internal organs to make room for their sole purpose in life now, which is to transport its payload of either eggs or sperm up into the currents away from the reef where they burst open and then die. This is why you saw it "whipping" around your tank. For more information and photos, please see the worm section in the below listed link. Thanks.

A Hitch Hikers Guide to the Reefs

Chuck

 

That sounds like it - thanks Charles !

Karma to you.