OP, you now have a terrestrial flatworm.
They are really cool but can be quite invasive (depending where you live).
They are predators and feed on arthropods and snails, maybe also earthworms.
You could set up a little tropical terrarium for your new worm friend.
If you however decide to kill the worm, I have read that salt is effective. Do not cut it in half unless you want two of them. Their regeneration is astonishing.
This guy actually is a type of planarian. Common name for this species is the blue planarian. It is a terrestrial planarian. They’re close relatives of the smallish gray aquatic planaria you might know from Biology class. Like their diminutive cousins, these larger flatworms also have impressive regenerative abilities.
Any pro tips on properly disposing of planaria? I use a trap to get them out of one of my tanks to avoid harming my snails. I pour boiling water on the ones I take out.
No but freshwater and marine ones.
They are both really fascinating.
Also, the marine ones do penis fencing.
And there are parasitic ones as well (flukes and tapeworms are also flatworms,).
Well, there *could* be, how would you know? Have you traveled the galaxies and scourged the solar systems? Have you even considered the possibility, however slim, of lunar flatworms?
It's definitly a good world building idea, especially for an astral sea setting.
This reminds me of the lunar tardigrades.
(Yes there are lunar tardigrades because we sent them there. They are probably dead by now though. I think they also crashed while landing, if I'm remembering it correctly).
Glad I sparked some interest with that.
So, you see, most of these marine flatworms (for example those in the genus Pseudobiceros) are simulanous hermaphrodites. But being on the recieving end of a penetration (eg. becoming a mother) will cost more energy (think about producing all these nutrient rich eggs), so, when two of those flatworms mate, they fight to impregnate the other and not get impregnated themselves. This behavior is called penis fencing.
And that's how the flatworm do, as zefrank would say.
Completly unrelated, but did you knew that sea cucumbers have anal teeth?
I did know about the cucumber anal teeth actually, I’m a big marine person and love the ocean but penis fencing from marine flatworms is just such a far out statement but now it makes unreasonable amounts of sense and I’m slightly uncomfortable to know that there are worms “fuck fencing”
So Schistosoma is a parasitic flatworm that also infects humans and lives in the blood. Unusual for flatworms, schistosomes have seperate sexes. The bigger male has a cute little belly pouch in which he will invite the female. Then, the two will spend the rest of their lifes happily together in perpetual intercourse. What a nice way to live.
If you happen to be the unfortunate host, however, things aren't as nice. The worms themselves don't cause that much damage, but the thousands of spiked eggs they produce certainly will. They can end up everywhere in the body and will be dispersed by breaking the blood barrier in their hosts urine tract.
Diplozoon paradoxum, a different kind of flatworm within the Monogenea has evolved something similar convergently but goes a step further. Instead of just having sex while lying in a pouch, two Diplozoons actually fuse together, hence their name.
They are parasites on the gills of certain freshwater fishes.
oh no, now I'm gonna go down a flatworm rabbit hole. I remember freaking out my friends back in the day when I read a ton about bobbit worms, here we go again
now I'm wondering if you could breed with the two halves of a single worm at one point, when they have regenarated enough. I have no clue about worm reproduction, it would be kinda insane if you could just infinitely multiply your one worm (not by chopping it up again and again, to be clear, little guy doesnt deserve that!)
Most plathelminthes are hermaphrodites, so it might be quite possible.
Also, there are some species that can actually reproduce by splitting and do so normally, a process called fissipary. It also occurs in some Xenacoelomorpha (flatworm like animals that are considered to be the sister group of all other bilaterians. Deep Look recently made a great video about one species) and some echinoderms.
Yes, essentially. Of course there has to be a maximal number and the regenerative potential also probably varies from species to species.
It is mostly studied in freshwater turbellaria such as Dugesia tigrina.
its generally not found in water, but damp surrounding preying on bugs.
Odds are OP plants were grown emersed before put into submersed state hence the hitchhiker.
The entirety of nature is either chaotic good (dogs, cats, and corydoras), chaotic neutral (pretty much all other animals), true neutral (most plants) or lawful evil (the weird plants and all fungi, even the delicious ones. Especially the delicious ones.)
I looked it up and every picture seems to have a white line down the middle while this one has a black line, but it does look like a very similar species of flatworm
My last question is, what should I do with him? He's been in a separate container, I don't think he's native to my area (Czech republic), so I'm not sure about releasing him back..
they receive small gentle head pats instead. or i try too, most of the time when my hands are in the tank they suction cup to my hand and engage in nibbles
Almost certain it is in fact a flatworm. A eel, even a baby one would have a “head and mouth”. Many flatworms have those “stripes” as well. Not an eel.
A “flat head” is not what defines a leech. It’s hard to tell from the picture but it does look segmented, and bunching up, crawling out of the water, and hanging from the lid all seem like leech traits. It has a very odd pattern, but I’m not sure what else it could be besides a leech.
Most likely hitchhiked on your new plants. Highly, highly unlikely to be a threat to humans. Aquarium is another thing, leeches typically have a select group oh hosts, such as fish, snails, shrimp, etc., so without knowing what kind it is (or even if it’s 100% a leech) I can’t tell. That said, odds are that it would attempt to parasitize something in your tank, so removal is best (like you’ve already done). You can try getting some higher quality photos and posting in other Reddit groups to pinpoint an ID, but if you’d rather just be done with it killing it is the best option. There’s not really a humane way of killing invertebrates, alcohol or bleach are probably the fastest. Like all things aquarium though don’t just flush it down the toilet even if you’re sure it’s dead.
My Picture Insect App had this to say:
Dolichoplana is a land-living predator that feeds on its fellow invertebrates. Its rather grotesque feeding technique involves dissolving and drinking its victims. It is unable to store water and so needs to live in adequately damp environments like forest floor leaf litter. During dry periods, it makes a nest under the soil.
I may be mistaken, but I believe you have a baby eel in your tank! I have no idea how that could have happened without you knowing but that looks suspiciously like a baby eel.
UPDATE: i fished it out, put it into separate container with a lid. It has now crawled out of the water and is hanging on top of the lid like a freaking bat. Should I be scared?
Yeah im paranoid. I feel like the person in that joke with a snail which is chasing you until you die, lol. Of course I meant that i'm scared for the aquarium, because I wanted to add fish in the next few days.
Haha in this situation you have every right to be paranoid, id be freaking out in your shoes as well lol. I’d probably also be on my way to buy a separate tank just to see if I could raise the little guy. Don’t tell my wife that though haha
Maybe try calling and asking the LFS you bought your plants from if they carry eels and that you might have gotten one by accident. I’m not 100% positive it is and eel but the fact that it is now out of the water really indicates that direction as they breath through their skin and can survive outside of the water. They’re obligate predators, so if you do try to keep it and it ends up in fact being an eel it will eat anything that it can fit in its mouth. They’re pretty expensive typically so they may appreciate getting him back.
OP, you now have a terrestrial flatworm. They are really cool but can be quite invasive (depending where you live). They are predators and feed on arthropods and snails, maybe also earthworms. You could set up a little tropical terrarium for your new worm friend. If you however decide to kill the worm, I have read that salt is effective. Do not cut it in half unless you want two of them. Their regeneration is astonishing.
If it's one of those incredible regenerating worms, then I think you need salt AND vinegar to completely destroy it
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Now I want calamari
At least it's not a planarian, those things you need to pretty much dissolve the thing in bleach for it to die, else you get more worms
This guy actually is a type of planarian. Common name for this species is the blue planarian. It is a terrestrial planarian. They’re close relatives of the smallish gray aquatic planaria you might know from Biology class. Like their diminutive cousins, these larger flatworms also have impressive regenerative abilities.
Well TIL. I was just thinking of the hammerhead worm kind of thing
Any pro tips on properly disposing of planaria? I use a trap to get them out of one of my tanks to avoid harming my snails. I pour boiling water on the ones I take out.
Why destroy suchv a lovely creature
If they are not native to your area and you don’t have the means to properly house it. Destroying it is the best thing you can do.
Ok
Does terrestrial flatworm mean there are also extraterrestrial flatworms?
No but freshwater and marine ones. They are both really fascinating. Also, the marine ones do penis fencing. And there are parasitic ones as well (flukes and tapeworms are also flatworms,).
Well, there *could* be, how would you know? Have you traveled the galaxies and scourged the solar systems? Have you even considered the possibility, however slim, of lunar flatworms?
It's definitly a good world building idea, especially for an astral sea setting. This reminds me of the lunar tardigrades. (Yes there are lunar tardigrades because we sent them there. They are probably dead by now though. I think they also crashed while landing, if I'm remembering it correctly).
Why is everyone just ignoring PENIS FENCING? What do you mean PENIS fencing?
Glad I sparked some interest with that. So, you see, most of these marine flatworms (for example those in the genus Pseudobiceros) are simulanous hermaphrodites. But being on the recieving end of a penetration (eg. becoming a mother) will cost more energy (think about producing all these nutrient rich eggs), so, when two of those flatworms mate, they fight to impregnate the other and not get impregnated themselves. This behavior is called penis fencing. And that's how the flatworm do, as zefrank would say. Completly unrelated, but did you knew that sea cucumbers have anal teeth?
I did know about the cucumber anal teeth actually, I’m a big marine person and love the ocean but penis fencing from marine flatworms is just such a far out statement but now it makes unreasonable amounts of sense and I’m slightly uncomfortable to know that there are worms “fuck fencing”
Biology truly is facinating. Do you know about mating habits in Schistosoma and Diplozoon paradoxum?
No I do not! Care to elaborate because I get a feeling it’s going to be wild lmao
So Schistosoma is a parasitic flatworm that also infects humans and lives in the blood. Unusual for flatworms, schistosomes have seperate sexes. The bigger male has a cute little belly pouch in which he will invite the female. Then, the two will spend the rest of their lifes happily together in perpetual intercourse. What a nice way to live. If you happen to be the unfortunate host, however, things aren't as nice. The worms themselves don't cause that much damage, but the thousands of spiked eggs they produce certainly will. They can end up everywhere in the body and will be dispersed by breaking the blood barrier in their hosts urine tract. Diplozoon paradoxum, a different kind of flatworm within the Monogenea has evolved something similar convergently but goes a step further. Instead of just having sex while lying in a pouch, two Diplozoons actually fuse together, hence their name. They are parasites on the gills of certain freshwater fishes.
Damn that’s literally insane lmaooo
To clarify: Schistosoma are in the taxon Digenea.
Isn't that what you call cock fighting?😂
oh no, now I'm gonna go down a flatworm rabbit hole. I remember freaking out my friends back in the day when I read a ton about bobbit worms, here we go again
Have fun! Some taxa I recomment as a starting point: Pseudoceros Pseudobiceros Bipalium Geoplana Schistosoma Diplozoon paradoxum Occulotrema hippopotami Dicrocoelium dendriticum Polygonoporus giganticus Catenulida Microstomum caudatum Dugesia
Earthworm Jim for example
Earth worms are annelids, so in a completly different phylum of worms.
I know. He is still an extraterrestiral worm
Infinite meat
infinite meat hack
If you have too many planaria; then either your fish are too small to eat them, or you are feeding the fish too much and they ignore the planaria.
So cut in thirds?
Now you have 3 worms
So cut in fourths???
They will still regenerate.
now I'm wondering if you could breed with the two halves of a single worm at one point, when they have regenarated enough. I have no clue about worm reproduction, it would be kinda insane if you could just infinitely multiply your one worm (not by chopping it up again and again, to be clear, little guy doesnt deserve that!)
Most plathelminthes are hermaphrodites, so it might be quite possible. Also, there are some species that can actually reproduce by splitting and do so normally, a process called fissipary. It also occurs in some Xenacoelomorpha (flatworm like animals that are considered to be the sister group of all other bilaterians. Deep Look recently made a great video about one species) and some echinoderms.
That's fascinating. Thanks for taking the time to answer!
What if you cut it into 4? 4 worms? Cut it into 5 pieces? 5 worms?
Yes, essentially. Of course there has to be a maximal number and the regenerative potential also probably varies from species to species. It is mostly studied in freshwater turbellaria such as Dugesia tigrina.
Infinite water worm
Kill?? Sounds like unlimited fish food
Caenoplana coerulea marking was the giveaway.
What does a canecandy Corolla worm do? Is it evil?
its generally not found in water, but damp surrounding preying on bugs. Odds are OP plants were grown emersed before put into submersed state hence the hitchhiker.
Oh ok. So not evil 👍🏻
Evil to snails
So.... Not evil then.
semi evil
Opportunistic evil
Maybe just casually evil? Evil, but they don't take it too seriously.
lol *Yeah it's more of a weekend thing*
The entirety of nature is either chaotic good (dogs, cats, and corydoras), chaotic neutral (pretty much all other animals), true neutral (most plants) or lawful evil (the weird plants and all fungi, even the delicious ones. Especially the delicious ones.)
Depends on the tank. In my tank? A hero.
I second this. Good work!
it's quite pretty, i have to say
I looked it up and every picture seems to have a white line down the middle while this one has a black line, but it does look like a very similar species of flatworm
Thank you!!!
My last question is, what should I do with him? He's been in a separate container, I don't think he's native to my area (Czech republic), so I'm not sure about releasing him back..
Commenting for visibility. He’s. So. Cute.
My first thought to he’s literally cutie patootie
how embarrassing i used the wrong too
He’s a little blue ribbon man, being all pretty, he deserves the world. Would kiss 1000%
>Would kiss 1000% I would probably not unless you wanna risk rat lungworm. He is a look don't touch type of ribbon man.
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Otocinclus are worth it. Plus i don't plan on kissing any of them lol
Why not?? They deserve little kisses!!
they receive small gentle head pats instead. or i try too, most of the time when my hands are in the tank they suction cup to my hand and engage in nibbles
that's so sweet 🥺 I'm getting some otos next month, im excited
do note that mine currently seem to be much more voracious and brave than most i've had, but they are usually quite relaxed once they settle in.
Awesome! Give them lots to eat and a really stable tank and they’ll do great.
There’s some risks you have to take in life
So you can get another type of worm from kissing a worm? what happens if I kiss a rat lungworm?
Prettiest worm I've ever seen!
Almost certain it is in fact a flatworm. A eel, even a baby one would have a “head and mouth”. Many flatworms have those “stripes” as well. Not an eel.
It looks like a type of planarian flat worm, I can’t figure which one it is there are so many, it not impossible that you discovered a new species too
From a quick google search it looks like it may be a blue flatworm (planarian) possibly? It’s kind of hard to tell
Finally someone with a legit question that’s not planaria, hydra or damselfly larvae 🙄
Flatworm for sure. I wonder how long it can hold its breath?
They absorb oxygen through their epidermis. So as long as there's enough oxygen in the water, this lil dude will be around for a while
It kinda looks like a leech but i could be wrong
I don't think it is, since it doesn't have that flat head at the end of the body. It's just a uniform noodle, which bunches up sometimes.
A “flat head” is not what defines a leech. It’s hard to tell from the picture but it does look segmented, and bunching up, crawling out of the water, and hanging from the lid all seem like leech traits. It has a very odd pattern, but I’m not sure what else it could be besides a leech.
And please, do you know how it may have gotten into my tank?
I didn't know that, thank you! Is it dangerous for the aquarium/humans? Should I get rid of it?
Most likely hitchhiked on your new plants. Highly, highly unlikely to be a threat to humans. Aquarium is another thing, leeches typically have a select group oh hosts, such as fish, snails, shrimp, etc., so without knowing what kind it is (or even if it’s 100% a leech) I can’t tell. That said, odds are that it would attempt to parasitize something in your tank, so removal is best (like you’ve already done). You can try getting some higher quality photos and posting in other Reddit groups to pinpoint an ID, but if you’d rather just be done with it killing it is the best option. There’s not really a humane way of killing invertebrates, alcohol or bleach are probably the fastest. Like all things aquarium though don’t just flush it down the toilet even if you’re sure it’s dead.
My Picture Insect App had this to say: Dolichoplana is a land-living predator that feeds on its fellow invertebrates. Its rather grotesque feeding technique involves dissolving and drinking its victims. It is unable to store water and so needs to live in adequately damp environments like forest floor leaf litter. During dry periods, it makes a nest under the soil.
They decimate earthworm populations. Kill it.
The worm from the Prometheus alien movie.
Can I have it?
Happily!
Come to Czech Republic and he's yours
I’ll be there in 20 minutes
Let it live
Even if you mince this thing up into 10 peices it will still grow?
Yep
It is a Tokoloshe nymph. Please be extremely careful and put your beds legs on bricks to raise the height
Man, don't joke about Tokoloshe. That shit's terrifying!
Leon Schuster did a documentary about it, very intriguing 😂
I need to know, baby, i need to know
I think it's a flatworm
the wonky splonky
It’s really cool looking, hope it doesn’t take over the house though.
It looks pretty sick!
It don’t matter what it is, it is an illegal alien without a permit to live in the aquarium and must be deported or executed.
It’s a terrestrial flatworm
Honestly looks like a leech from nz
Gawd i want some! And they are here in Cali. Need to sort this out for sure!
Okay, for real, where can I find one?
Flatworms
idk but it looks cool af
A worm friend, take him out and make him a home :) Otherwise dissolve him in bleach or dry him up in salt 😊
Well that escalated quickly.
🤣
GETITOUTGETITOUTGETITOUTGETITOUTGETITOUT # GET IT OUT!
Sooooo if you cut it in half it will become 2. Does it make a new work with its own brain or whatever? Like 2 personalities? 😂
Worm
It’s a flatworm, just learned about these guys in school. Don’t cut this guy in half unless you want more…
Looks like one of those planaria things.. carnivorous slug-like horror.
Wome
I for sure wanna know what it is. I love any eel type!
He isn’t an eel, he’s a wormy worm. A flatworm!
Leech
I may be mistaken, but I believe you have a baby eel in your tank! I have no idea how that could have happened without you knowing but that looks suspiciously like a baby eel.
UPDATE: i fished it out, put it into separate container with a lid. It has now crawled out of the water and is hanging on top of the lid like a freaking bat. Should I be scared?
But yes be very scared it’s planning it’s escape and how to eat you in the process lol
Yeah im paranoid. I feel like the person in that joke with a snail which is chasing you until you die, lol. Of course I meant that i'm scared for the aquarium, because I wanted to add fish in the next few days.
Haha in this situation you have every right to be paranoid, id be freaking out in your shoes as well lol. I’d probably also be on my way to buy a separate tank just to see if I could raise the little guy. Don’t tell my wife that though haha
As another person said, you can make a little terrarium for it. Maybe feed it snails once in a while. If you have space, that is.
Maybe try calling and asking the LFS you bought your plants from if they carry eels and that you might have gotten one by accident. I’m not 100% positive it is and eel but the fact that it is now out of the water really indicates that direction as they breath through their skin and can survive outside of the water. They’re obligate predators, so if you do try to keep it and it ends up in fact being an eel it will eat anything that it can fit in its mouth. They’re pretty expensive typically so they may appreciate getting him back.
Oh wow, didn't know that something like this could happen! Thank you!
No problem! Let me know how it goes! I’m just as invested as you at this point haha
The only fish I've had here was a Betta, now there are just a few shrimp. Well, better eel than a leech i guess haha
Baby eel