Bristleworm spawning event

[reefnroll]

Anybody ever witnessed this before?

I didn't know what was happening when I saw it yesterday, but I did some research last night that explained what was happening.

I was pulling all sorts of random crap off my sandbed last night, when about 5" from my hand, a huge bristleworm extended itself (butt or head first... who knew which at the time?) straight up - vertically from a rock. It immediately released a pinkish-white cloud burst that mucked up the area. I almost ripped the skin off my arm pulling my hand out of there!

About 15 seonds later... about a foot to the right, a second worm did the same thing. 15 seconds later, a foot further to the right a third... and then a fourth after that. My tank looked like someone poured a half gallon of milk into it. After about 5-7 minutes, it appeared to completely cleared up. I didn't see any other yuck spurts during that time.

The corals and fish seemed completely nonplussed by the display. No perking up nor super extended polyps... but nothing negative either. I was kind of freaked out myself. As many hours as I've sat and stared at that tank over the past years... I've never seen the bristleworm spawning show.

It's wild, and kinda gross.

b

 

[Moe_K]

Whoa.
I wonder what caused all the commotion: was it the moving of rock, or maybe different lighting at that time of the day/night.

Ever see the juvenile bristleworms swimming in your tank at night? They're fast little suckers.

 

[reefnroll]

Yeah... I've seen the little squirts ziggly wiggling around... mostly at night, right? But this was something else altogether!

It was very late afternoon (5:30 or so). I hadn't moved a single rock or changed the lights. The tank was fully lit and the circulation was 100%. I was just grabbing stray shells and junk off the sand when they started popping off like dawn of the dead characters rising from the crypt... in fast motion.

b

 

[Mike A]

That would've creeped me out too bec.

I've never had an event like that occur.

 

[reefnroll]

Mike... you have no idea.

Here's a thread I found over on RC... FYI -
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=72346&highlight=bristleworm+spawning

Something new to watch for... just when I thought I'd seen all the various cycles that were happening in my tank.

b

 

[Lam]

I think that's awesome. Too freaked out to grab your camera?

 

[denvig]

WOW that's awesome! See I do learn somthing new everytime I log onto these boards. Thanks for the post Bec.

 

[starrfish]

That would have scared the SH!T out of me!!

 

[reefnroll]

Daire - Dennis - Lam -

Exactly! I was standing there with a dripping arm... stunned at what I was seeing! The whole thing took less than a minute, and the whole time my son and I were kind of freaking out and wondering what was happening. After the 4th worm blasted off... I went to grab my camera, but no more appeared. I'll see if I can check again tonight, if I get home around that same time - camera in hand. Problem is... you never know where one is going to pop up - so it's a crap shoot on how decent of a shot is possible.

The folks who described the same event on RC seem to have also seen pink/red stringy stuff released from some worms... which is apparently the egg portion of the spawn recipe. I didn't see anything like that... but it appears that what I saw was 4 male bristlers spewing sperm. Something must have triggered the activity, but I have no idea what it could have been.

b

 

[JD46]

I have had this happen in my tank a few times. I was freaked out the first time too. But, I have never had an adverse effect as a result.

One of the times lasted at least 10 minutes until the worms stopped.

 

[stang8s]

I had it happen once with a worm that must have been 8-10" long.. Lasted about 10 minutes. Was very strange. Thing looked like a smokestack. I tried to get a pic but it was tough..

http://tools4cheap.net/salt/woah2.jpg
http://tools4cheap.net/salt/woah1.jpg

 

[Syris]

Pretty awesome bec.
Just when you think you've seen it all in your tank something new surprises you.

 

[One Eye]

Bec, maybe they just really like you?

Seriously that's really cool. I had all my astrea snails do the same thing the night I switched my substrate over from crushed coral to southdown. I figured that it was stress related. Yours sounds like you've just got them fooled into believing they're in the ocean.

 

[Chuck Spyropulos]

My Haddoni regularly releases "stuff" that clouds my water for hours. I just run some carbon and polyfilter to clear things up....next time I am going to get my camera !

 

[Tstone]

Bec, maybe they just really like you?

I was thinking the same thing!!

 

[wrassefan]

I was thinking the same thing!!

Yeah Rebecca, they were just happy to see ya'

 

[JMAC]

Another worm story

Intersting stuff Bec. There is always something new to be discovered it seems, even in a tank that you thought you know well and for years isn't there.

Although I have never witnessed an event such as you described, I have witnessed other odd worm (what I think were spawning) events in my tanks over the years. I once walked by my tank at night and noticed movement near the surface. When I turned the room light on I noticed a couple small worms (not bristle worms) doing something very un-wormlike. They were wrapped around themselves in a tight ball with only a bit of the tail end sticking out and being used as a paddle of sorts. They looked like big "commas" about half inch in diameter all wrapped up and actually swimming at the surface of the water using the tag end to propell themselves up. I wish I had a digital camera back then. I thought I had seen it all until a year or so later, I had another type of worm shape itself like a "pretzle" and actually use its new "wings" to swim near the top of the water at night as well. Flapping like a butterfly! Very odd too.

You never know what you are going to see out of the blue. (A red light is a great way to look at your tank at night without disturbing natural behaviors)

Joe