ID this...worm?

Palolo worms...that's what I was thinking of. Definitely not a palolo worm.

 

It is probably a eunicid worm in an epitoke morph. Basically lunar conditions cause a lot of sea worms to become sexually mature and they change into this wriggly mobile version that goes to the surface to spawn. That's a very basic summary. Whether it is a good or bad eunicid I don't know, it could just be a normal bristleworm that's a big boy now and wants a night out on the town.

 

It was smooth like an earthworm. That's the perplexing part- it was not segmented, and did not have bristles or noticeable 'antenna' at any end.

Thinking back, I have seen this worm in my tank before - in the sand. I was siphoning during a water change and this giant earthworm looking thing quickly moved to bury itself again under the rockwork.

 

Update!

Had my pump off for feeding, and when it came back on three or four segments of worm popped out and I got one. The others crawled into the rockwork.

It has tiny, milipede-like legs. No fibers like a bristleworm.

 

I think you get those when you dose tequila

 

Quick vid I took immediately after the pump shot the worm bits out. The one rolled up into a donut is the same as the pics on the napkin...it was leaking goo similar to an earthworm when you cut them.

My dog was a bit worked up between me running for my phone to take a vid and the FedEx truck outside.

 

Looks like a eunice worm to me. It sure had the bodyrenching like one when in the water column

 

You Tube has a number of videos of bobbit worms and this one seems to fit the description. One video shows a large worm that broke off into viable pieces. Scary but interesting.

 

Have you seen anything since the massacre?

I hope it isn't the eunice worm!!

 

Nothing since. It’s been quiet in my tank.