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sand worms...oww!

i got crabs

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May 19, 2005
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this is a bit of a weird question but i was wondering if ant one has any input on feeding sand worms to your octos. if you are unfamilier with these they are a many legged tan to purpleish worm with huge pinchers. i was in the shore area this weekend but it was too late to get to any bait shops in the area but on the way home my friends and i passed a live bait vending machine. on a whim i bought some of these and offered um to my octo and he loved em but im not sure if there totaly safe as food. and if they are whats the best way to handle them without getting bit? right now i have them floating in a plastic container in my feeder tank as im afraid to relaese them. any other info, care, feeding tactics would also be appreciated.
 
Is this what you fed him? I never thought to try these with any of mine. Interesting. And this pic I have hanging over my computer at work just for the shock effect!!! :mrgreen:
 
hi carol, yep thats dem. scary lil buggers arnt dey. iv never been bitten yet and ive used them for fishing in the past but i crindge everytime i have to handle them and i see there (jaws?) extend. like i said they remind me of some pest worms i once got in my reef when i had that long time ago. just bigga. but thats why im not sure about letting them swim free.
 
When you said "sand worms" I jokingly thought you meant like the ones in Dune. Now I see that picture and there's no joking about it!

Dan
 
DHyslop said:
When you said "sand worms" I jokingly thought you meant like the ones in Dune. Now I see that picture and there's no joking about it!

Dan

my first thoughts exactly. i was wondering on how that would work..... lol.

back on topic, i had some experience working with various sand worms and other marine worms (in BC, probably far from where you are) and i seem to remember that some (rarer?) types were quite poisonous for their size.... of course this was a few years ago so i could be wrong and if they sell them from a live bait vendor i have to assume they are safe, but i would double check if you plan on getting them from the wild.
 
i got crabs said:
i was wondering if ant one has any input on feeding sand worms to your octos.

Howdy,

You might want to check out:
http://www.cephbase.dal.ca/preydb/preydb.cfm

Just select the species of octo you're dealing with and it will show you records of what that species has been observed to eat in the wild and in captivity. In most cases worms are just identified as Polychates without any genus or species I.D.

I doubt that such a worm would provide any problem for a hungry octopus. OTOH: If you release the worms into your tank they will immediately try to hide under a rock. That, in turn, could create a problem if your octo decides to disassemble your aquascaping in order to have a snack. OTOH: (this makes three hands so far) most polychates come out to feed after dark and most octos are more than happy to do their hunting after dark so maybe that's not a problem.

Edibly yours,

Alex
 
Good call jean. They are nereis virens, sometimes called clamworms,a common live bait and featured in the B movie Squirm. Had to dissect one in zoology lab years ago.
 
i got crabs said:
i see there (jaws?) extend they remind me of some pest worms i once got in my reef when i had that long time ago. just bigga. but thats why im not sure about letting them swim free.

Hello again,

The Nereid worms are vegetarians. Those nasty looking jaws are used to tear up pieces of algae. Of course, they are also a defensive weapon and they bite fishermen all the time - unpleasant but no real damage.

Here in Washington state what we call a "Clam Worm" is Nereis vexillosa. This fellow looks very much like the picture posted by corw314 yesterday except that ours usually have a bit duller coloration. Maximum length for N. vexillosa is 6 inches; we also have N. vexillosa's bigger cousin N. brandti that reaches 36 inches. I've never seen one myself but the jaws on something that size must be intimidating indeed!

Vermiculturally yours,

Alex
 
Once while taking a class at Friday Harbor Marine Labs in Washington, I saw many N. brandti. They come to the surface at night to spawn. I had paddled a boat to the only bar on the island and was returning when I saw these large wiggly things in the water. Being drunk, I decided to pick one up (I thought they were some type of fish...). Imagine my surprise when I got a closer look...:shock: It was a long time before I got drunk again...
 

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