Acropora critter

[G.Alexander]

Acropora critter.

Found this small green worm on a millepora fragment eating the tissue. Hopefully this was the only one.

Took about 2 weeks until the fragment was death

Anybody ever seen the worm ?





G.Alexander

[G.Alexander]

This is a picture how it looked before:



G.Alexander

[GTR]

Alexander... Most things we see eating our corals I think are just taking advantage of the weakness or dying tissue. But from the looks of the before picture it looks real healthy. Do you still have the worm? If so maybe place it with a small frag of another millepora and see if it eats from the broken base or just anywhere which has live tissue.

SteveU

[reefplayer]

Amazing... Never encounter or heard of this before.

[G.Alexander]

Steve, the coral was in perfect condition and I am sure it loved the place where I have stocked it.

I have watched my little green friend for some days and he only come out at night. Maybe there was something else with the coral but I have not found any other critter.

It had a round moth filled with teeth which is ideal to peel down the tissue.

I have unrepealed the worm but if I find another one I will do the test.

G.Alexander

[reefplayer]

Yup interesting to know whether it eats from the bottom or from the tip down? Or maybe anywhere will do? Did your milli has any patches anywhere?

[G.Alexander]

He came up from the bottom and cased no patches.

G.Alexander

[invincible569]

Never seen one before.. keep an eye on it and let us know.

[Aged Salt]

Alexander, there was no tissue-sloughing noted? I've never seen these before, either. Bob

[curt conrad]

Never scene that one either:
First is was the Red Bugs.Then Acro eating flatworms.Now we got the "Green Monster worm invasion.....What's next ?Why does all the nasty critters,always invade Acropora's?The ones who have softies never have issue's like us guys do......
c/b

[Znut Reefer]

Can't say I have seen a worm look like that either. Hope you got it out, and don't find anymore. Like Curt said it always seems to be some bad critter messing with our sps!

[G.Alexander]

I do not expect this is another invasion. Until now I have not found any other coral with the symptoms. After drying the worm I noticed its body contains a lot of kalk. The worm had a round moth with a lot of teeth around.

G.Alexander

[gqjeff]

Alexander, keep those green worms on your side of the pond hehehe.. No seriously very interesting find.. I have never seen anything like that before in books or anywhere. I would like to know if Meso has any idea of what it may be.

[G.Alexander]

Jeff you know how this works - they will come over sooner or later

G.Alexander