ASAP! Mysterious worm?! Help

On one of my live rocks there is a little worm about 3 cm....it is brownish purple and has an orange head. It looks bristly....Help! Is this a parasite that I should remove?

 

Looks like a bristle worm which IMO is harmless

 

Agreed, just a bristle worm. They help clean the tank. But be careful with your hands, because they can sting.

 

Like others said, it is a bristle worm. There have been rumors of them eating fish, corals, inverts, etc. this is largely bunk. They eat detritus and dead stuff, a willing and ready part of a clean up crew. If you happen to get stung by on the bristles can be melted with white vinegar (or pretty much any other type of vinegar) and the stinging can be somewhat relived by running it under hot water, as hot as you can stand with out sustaining burns. The heat helps denature the toxin.

 

I find it ironic that you would say it looks "bristly", as it is a bristle worm.

 

yea i know what you mean i lol at that. its really the fire worm you have to worry about. but if stung just use vinegar or isopropyl alcohol. your probably going to see inflammation, redness, burning, numbness, swelling, overall pain, not a pretty thing. best to remove any bristles as quickly as possible. if really inflamed and prolong burning sensation develop use hydrocortisone cream 3 times per day. i think hydrocortisone is a steroid so if into sports i would watch for that. if signs of infection are present, like pus, heat, use antibiotic ointment. for pain i would use ibuprofen (advil, motrin, idk morphine;D). just remember am not a doctor so if anything go straight to the doc anyway.