some kind of long worm in my rock

[MARIA]

i have had this tank for a couple of months now and i keep finding new things like a baby snail on the glass. i just saw it the other day for the first time. i love it. but.... there is this worm thing. when i turn the lights on it shrinks back into the rock. it stays in the same hole in the rock and if i use a flash light after the tank lights have been off for a while, i see it stretch 3 or for inches to another spot on the rock and it looked like a rubberband. i cant see the head of it anymore. then when i turn the lights on, it shrinks back down. i never see the end of it. its light brownish and round. no legs, no head, nothing comes out of it( thinking it was an anemone) its kind of gross, the way it stretched then shrinks. any ideas of what this thing is. thanks

[Irisservice]

Can you get a photo of it?

[MARIA]

no, i don't have a camera anymore, sorry

[Fugly]

How does your mandarin go with your damsel?? Any hassle?

[steve1s]

If it is protruding from a small hole in the rock, there is a good chance it is just a peanut worm. Completely harmless detritus eater.

http://www.calacademy.org/research/izg/SFBay2K/peanutworm.htm

Cheers
Steve

[Pineapple House]

I again agree with Steve. More than likely it's a peanut worm. Can you tell me, does it retract into itself? Or does it crawl back into it's hole? I can get a picture of mine sometime. They're very harmless, as steve said, and very benificial for the tank.

PH =)

[MARIA]

yes, that is it! thank you. i also just recently found a baby snail.

[RazerCorals]

I've got one of those. It's gotten so big it got stuck in the rock.

[vidodivr]

It could be a brittle star....is this the creature?

[bmakel]

Does a brittle star retract its arms because I think I have one too. I have only seen it twice under a rock. The only thing I saw was on long snorkel looking thing come out of a rock. I could only see one arm

[Pineapple House]

Peanut worms will retract into themselves when threatand. Does the worm do that?

PH =)