Any idea what it is?

My peacock mantis was over in the corner of the tank smashing at the sand. When I looked he was smashing at a bristle worm and then he went to this odd thing.

I tried to get pictures of it when it was in the tank but did not come out well....

I looked almost like 2 hair thin starfish but there was at least 10 arms. They were red and black clear arms and they retracted into the sand when Bob got near.

bad picture but in the black area you can see it a little. Zoom in on picture

I think it might be a speghatti worm but have never seen on except in the worm picture that Amcarig posted and am not sure how they behave.

I grabbed a feeding stick and started going through the sand there and came up with the following pictures. There was a definate body with these hair like red with black spot tentacles.


this pic shows coloration a little better

 

need better pic........

 

those pics won't let you zoom sorry but if it is a spaghetti worm it's cool, they won't hurt anything. they live in the sand and their feeding tentacles come up to the surface and they filter feed. I've got pics let me find them, they are very close up.




Is that what it looks like?

 

As far as I can tell from the pics and description, I would have to agree with Cuttin on this..........Spaghetti!!

 

I third it. I wish I had more of them.

 

thanks....I flushed it! Wasnt sure what it was but I do think that is what they are! Thanks

 

I would say spaghetti too. No need to flush if you find another - they are harmless, beneficial scavengers. I have quite a few in my tank