We recently had some donated plants spend a night in an unused
aquarium. This afternoon we found some sort of brown worm ... it
seems to burrow in the gravel with one end and at times floats the
other end at the surface (as if breathing through it).

I can't say I've seen anything like this before (science fiction
movies aside, of course) and am wondering what this creature is and if
it's something that's better off dead than in a pond?

Thanks!

http://community.webshots.com/user/steveandtiffany

Click on the pond creature gallery.

-Steve

I have found similar animals in my salt water (local) tank right after
loosing several healthy fish. I assumed they were some kind of parasite. I
have had them a few times after adding newly caught fish to a tank. I now
use a small isolation tank treated with copper and have not had them return.
If anyone knows exactly what they are I would like to know also.

"Steve and Tiffany" wrote in message
...
We recently had some donated plants spend a night in an unused
aquarium. This afternoon we found some sort of brown worm ... it
seems to burrow in the gravel with one end and at times floats the
other end at the surface (as if breathing through it).

I can't say I've seen anything like this before (science fiction
movies aside, of course) and am wondering what this creature is and if
it's something that's better off dead than in a pond?

Thanks!

http://community.webshots.com/user/steveandtiffany

Click on the pond creature gallery.

-Steve

My best guess is a cranefly larvae. See
http://www.roundrocks.com/rocks/craneflyinfo.html
I took a course in identifying macroinvertebrates for MD Save Our Strems
bioassay where they id anything small in a stream. The teacher said I was
one of the best id'ers. My section on them is at
http://userpages.umbc.edu/~rrhudy1/insect2.htm#crane

On Tue, 3 Jun 2003, Steve and Tiffany wrote:

We recently had some donated plants spend a night in an unused
aquarium. This afternoon we found some sort of brown worm ... it
seems to burrow in the gravel with one end and at times floats the
other end at the surface (as if breathing through it).

I can't say I've seen anything like this before (science fiction
movies aside, of course) and am wondering what this creature is and if
it's something that's better off dead than in a pond?

Thanks!

http://community.webshots.com/user/steveandtiffany

Click on the pond creature gallery.

-Steve



-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chemist, preservationist, animal lover, aquarist, and ponder. -
Extensive web pages on animals, fish, and ponds. -
http://userpages.umbc.edu/~rrhudy1/ -
http://www.fishpondinfo.com
Free pond newsletter - sign up at my web site -
Finally! Buy Robyn's Pond Book at www.1stbooks.com -
-----------------------------------------------------------------
_ _
(o)____(o) ---ribbit
_/ oo \_
/ \----------/ \
\ | | | | /
ww ooo ooo ww

Hi Robyn.

Good work! That's the critter. These don't look like they're found
here in the Carolinas, and I don't think it would be wise to introduce
them :-) The plants came from northern California.

I'll take care of this with the garbage disposal.

Thanks!

-Steve


On Tue, 3 Jun 2003 14:50:14 -0400, Robyn Rhudy
wrote:


My best guess is a cranefly larvae. See
http://www.roundrocks.com/rocks/craneflyinfo.html
I took a course in identifying macroinvertebrates for MD Save Our Strems
bioassay where they id anything small in a stream. The teacher said I was
one of the best id'ers. My section on them is at
http://userpages.umbc.edu/~rrhudy1/insect2.htm#crane

On Tue, 3 Jun 2003, Steve and Tiffany wrote:

We recently had some donated plants spend a night in an unused
aquarium. This afternoon we found some sort of brown worm ... it
seems to burrow in the gravel with one end and at times floats the
other end at the surface (as if breathing through it).

I can't say I've seen anything like this before (science fiction
movies aside, of course) and am wondering what this creature is and if
it's something that's better off dead than in a pond?

Thanks!

http://community.webshots.com/user/steveandtiffany

Click on the pond creature gallery.

-Steve



-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chemist, preservationist, animal lover, aquarist, and ponder. -
Extensive web pages on animals, fish, and ponds. -
http://userpages.umbc.edu/~rrhudy1/ -
http://www.fishpondinfo.com
Free pond newsletter - sign up at my web site -
Finally! Buy Robyn's Pond Book at www.1stbooks.com -
-----------------------------------------------------------------
_ _
(o)____(o) ---ribbit
_/ oo \_
/ \----------/ \
\ | | | | /
ww ooo ooo ww

If the crane fly hatches out of the lavra it will fly around a couple days
looking for a mate and then die (or around here they blunder in the house and
become Heidi food).


k30a