Flatworm I.D. Please! (1 Viewer)

[d2mini]

AEFW? Something else?
The ones we are seeing on the base of this coral are white-ish clear, taking on a tint of the coral underneath it. Contrast improved in this pic....
You can see one in the center of the pic and then an out of focus one lower to the left.

And this is the same coral from a few months ago...

 

[steveb]

Looks like it to me...

Acropora Eating Flatworm (AEF) - Aquarium Coral Diseases

Reefs Magazine - On the (Mucous) Trail of Coral Killers: Acropora-Eating Flatworms

 

[tektite]

No, that's some other kind of flatworm. Does it live on the acro though, the skin or just the bare rock base? That's quite interesting.

 

[BigRick]

Baby acoel flatworm... the one that eats snails/clams?

 

[tektite]

You're thinking of polyclad flatworms, its not that, those are completely round like AEFW. Its the forked tail that's throwing me off. I haven't seen a flatworm exactly like that one before. Dennis, have you seen them on any other corals?

 

[BigRick]

Ughh that sucks, get more wrassess.... leopards

 

[d2mini]

No, that's some other kind of flatworm. Does it live on the acro though, the skin or just the bare rock base? That's quite interesting.

You're thinking of polyclad flatworms, its not that, those are completely round like AEFW. Its the forked tail that's throwing me off. I haven't seen a flatworm exactly like that one before. Dennis, have you seen them on any other corals?

Was hoping you would chime in.

I can see them on this particular coral.
Dave from UA said he saw them on another one... was either the upper portion of the efflo or the lower portion of the purple nana acro, I'm not sure. I couldn't make them out over there.
And many of my other acros have perished. On this particular one, they are all over the flesh, not the rock.
I'm getting some of the same confused responses on RC, too... many people thinking they are not AEFW but some other unknown flatworm.
I'm also not seeing the circular bite marks typically associated with AEFW. Dave thought he saw "tracks" under my red planet.

 

[d2mini]

Ughh that sucks, get more wrassess.... leopards

Or melanurus? That seemed to be one of the more common solutions from what I saw googling?
I already have a Flame, Mystery and Lubbock's.

 

[tektite]

Was hoping you would chime in.

I can see them on this particular coral.
Dave from UA said he saw them on another one... was either the upper portion of the efflo or the lower portion of the purple nana acro, I'm not sure. I couldn't make them out over there.
And many of my other acros have perished. On this particular one, they are all over the flesh, not the rock.
I'm getting some of the same confused responses on RC, too... many people thinking they are not AEFW but some other unknown flatworm.
I'm also not seeing the circular bite marks typically associated with AEFW. Dave thought he saw "tracks" under my red planet.

AEFW predation causes acros to lose their protective slime coat. Maybe these flatworms are having a similar effect, and less slime coat made the acros more susceptible than normal to whatever small changes happened in your tank with the cyano thing. If you haven't observed any bite marks, they may be living off the slime coat itself instead of chomping the acro skin like AEFW, but that's complete conjecture at this point. I would love to come over and get some, this is quite fascinating!

 

[d2mini]

AEFW predation causes acros to lose their protective slime coat. Maybe these flatworms are having a similar effect, and less slime coat made the acros more susceptible than normal to whatever small changes happened in your tank with the cyano thing. If you haven't observed any bite marks, they may be living off the slime coat itself instead of chomping the acro skin like AEFW, but that's complete conjecture at this point. I would love to come over and get some, this is quite fascinating!

That is exactly what happened. I think you saw pics of my acros in my build thread that lost all their slime coat, especially that efflo.
You are more than welcome to come over! Just say when.

 

[Diesel]

..........

 

[RR-MAN]

Or melanurus? That seemed to be one of the more common solutions from what I saw googling?
I already have a Flame, Mystery and Lubbock's.

Yeah that's a good one or canary wrasse is a also a good hunter.

Probably a little too late for wrasses to overcome infestation. Best option is to take all SPS out to a QT tank.

 

[d2mini]

So Cat came over tonite and took home half a dozen FW's.
But while here she spotted one on the flesh of my HAMMER!

 

[RR-MAN]

Yes something I didn't know. They also get on LPS.

 

[madehtsobi]

damn that sucks man... time to start oveR?

 

[d2mini]

Well, i heard back from Cat this morning and apparently they are NOT aefw!
They are effected by Flatworm Exit!