what is this

[mattstewart]

I've been reading this forum for awhile and had a question on what something was. I bough a small queen conch last night and today I saw an arm (or somthing) come out after it. The thing came out from under a piece of rock about 4-5 inches, and had white bristles on it. It was pulling the conch in toward the rock. My only guess is that it kind of looked like a brittle star, but it was white colored.
I attached a picture

 

[hdtran]

I see an out-of-focus blue-legged hermit on the lower right, what looks like a spaghetti worm on top, and either an out-of-focus brittle star leg or out-of-focus bristleworm.



Oh, and would one of the kindly moderators give the big "Welcome to Reefs.org" banner? I think Len has a very nice one.

 

[Len]

It's a bristle worm. Perfectly normal in reef tanks, scavagening for foods.

 

[mattstewart]

well the camera doesn't take that good of pictures with that close of zooms, there is nothing i can do about that. There is a blue leg hermit at the bottom, the white lines are the antenna of a cleaner shrimp, and it is my guess that its a brittle star leg or a bristle worm (or something else that i don't know about). the picture is after I pulled the conch away from the leg and hermit crab (the conch is not going to make it). The conch apparently drew alot of attention because everything went after it. hermit crabs, the cleaner shrimp, the peppermint shirmp and the mystery guest. which i though was wierd because i haven't lost a snail yet and i have empty shells in there for new homes for hermits. plust there is plenty to eat for the scavengers.

 

[Meloco14]

Yeah I agree with Len, it's a bristleworm. They must know the conch is dying and are going after it. They normally shouldnt attack a healthy one, so maybe it got sick or something.

 

[mattstewart]

Ok thanks all. I guess I really didn't consider that the conch was sick, but that makes sense. maybe i'll try another one later and hope its healthier.