What Kind of Goby Will Eat Bristle Worms?

In the world of aquariums, bristleworms are often seen as major nuisances that are tough to eliminate. Marine pests are no party for anyone, and bristleworms are a prime example of them. If these polychaetes have made an uninvited appearance in your aquarium, however, sleeper gobies might be able to help you put an end to the the issue.

  1. About Bristleworms

    • Bristleworms, as their names convey, are covered all over by bristles, which look like hairs. These nocturnal and segmented creatures share similarities to earthworms and come in a wide array of varieties. Certain types can actually be useful in aquariums, as they often consume detritus. Other kinds of bristleworms can be extremely destructive to aquariums, however, wreaking havoc on everything from anemones to corals. Bigger types of bristleworms tend to be more problematic than the smaller ones. Because of the potential issues that these swift breeders can cause, it's a smart idea to extract them from the environment -- pronto.

    Sleeper Gobies

    • Certain types of fish occasionally feed on these bothersome bristleworms. Sleeper gobies are one such example, indicates J. Charles Delbeek of FishChannel.com. Although sleeper gobies might be of assistance in eliminating frustrating bristleworms, however, they also might dine on worms that you want to keep around -- think Christmas tree worms (Spirobranchus giganteus), to be specific.

    Other Bristleworm Eaters

    • Sleeper gobies are far from being the only types of fish that sometimes dine on bristleworms. Other examples of kinds of fish that might make meals out of the creatures include bird wrasses (Gomphosus varius), neon dottybacks (Pseudochromis aldabraensis), plain-faced maori wrasses (Cheilinus oxycephalus) and melanurus wrasses (Halichoeres melanurus). Some crabs and shrimp species also munch on bristleworms.

    Caution

    • If you have a bristleworm problem in your tank, be extremely cautious and avoid allowing your skin to have direct contact with any of them, no matter how small and harmless they might look. These worms' bristles are extremely sharp, and they can lead to unpleasant feelings of stinging, firstly. The bristles are also small and can easily get stuck in skin, and therefore bring upon intense itchiness and irritation.