# ID this horrid beast please!



## xIslanderx (Dec 8, 2012)

Found two of these little friends/enemies lurking around my Sirensis tank last night after I misted them. Anyone care to help ID? They were approx 1/2" - 3/4" in length.
Thanks in advance.


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## ChrisK (Oct 28, 2008)

Do a search for "nemerteans" and "nematodes" on here and decide which it is.


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## xIslanderx (Dec 8, 2012)

Thanks. As far as what I can tell it is NOT good news for me (or my microfauna)


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Uh-oh! Looks like a Neemerteen. Does it lift its head and wave it around?


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## xIslanderx (Dec 8, 2012)

Never gave it time Doug, I jumped in after my couple photos and killed the wretched creature. I have since sat at this tank for too many minutes (hours?) over the last few days hoping to catch a glimpse of another. But, I fear that where there is one...


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## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

Kinda looks like this thing I found at the nursery. I don't think this one is a nemertean, as the "head" is flat and round, not pointed and proboscis like. Also, it's about 1 1/2" long.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Jason,

The worm you found is a terrestrial planaria (flatworm) of the genus _Bipaliinae, _not a nemertean. 

Ed


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## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

A quick Google search yielded no real info on these things. Ed, do you know anything about their natural history?


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## xIslanderx (Dec 8, 2012)

Aside from the similar lines, my little creature was missing that hammer head feature. I wish I would have waiting to verify it had a "swinging head". Ugh. 
Time will tell. I at least have this particular tank next to the computer I am typing on at the moment. I glance over quite often hoping to see the beast rear its head again.


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## Boondoggle (Dec 9, 2007)

xIslanderx said:


> Aside from the similar lines, my little creature was missing that hammer head feature. I wish I would have waiting to verify it had a "swinging head". Ugh.
> Time will tell. I at least have this particular tank next to the computer I am typing on at the moment. I glance over quite often hoping to see the beast rear its head again.


Not the end of the world either way. I have a few tanks with them in it. Apparently they prey on microfauna, but like most pests they seem to bloom and then die back to a barely noticable population...at least that's my experience.


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## mfsidore (Oct 10, 2012)

We meet again young worm....


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

epiphytes etc. said:


> A quick Google search yielded no real info on these things. Ed, do you know anything about their natural history?


they are believed to have originated from somewhere in Asia and have been transported to a number of locations around the globe. They predate on worms, snails, slugs and possibly other arthropods. 

Ed


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## erik s (Apr 12, 2010)

xIslanderx said:


> Never gave it time Doug, I jumped in after my couple photos and killed the wretched creature. I have since sat at this tank for too many minutes (hours?) over the last few days hoping to catch a glimpse of another. But, I fear that where there is one...


Try giving your tank a heavy misting at lights out time...wait a bit then check the glass...with my one horrid experience with the little bastards, that is how I flushed um out!!!!


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## xIslanderx (Dec 8, 2012)

erik s said:


> Try giving your tank a heavy misting at lights out time...wait a bit then check the glass...with my one horrid experience with the little bastards, that is how I flushed um out!!!!


Awesome Erik. This gives me a very small glimpse of hope!


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## What'sAGoonToAGoblin? (Sep 4, 2010)

Definately not a planarian!

Likely not a nemertean.

Most probably a nematode.

It looks just like the _Caenorhabditis_ in a few of my tanks, which I identified about 10 years ago as _C. elegans_.


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## jbherpin (Oct 16, 2009)

The fattened end with the very distinct pointed end leads me to believe you have a nemertean. Nematodes tend to stay more uniform in roundness throughout. Just my experience. Frogs won't eat them, and they can kill a lot of fruit flies overnight depending on the size of the outbreak. Best of luck.

JB


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## What'sAGoonToAGoblin? (Sep 4, 2010)

Well it turns out that I underestimated the size of your worms. I took some pictures of my _C. elegans_ and they are about 10 times smaller than your worms.

I am therefore ruling out nematodes based on size, and planarians based on those worms very obviously not being planarians.

This leaves nemerteans.


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