Eunice aphroditois (Bobbit Worm) Care Guide
Eunice aphroditois is a large predatory polychaete and a notorious live-rock hitchhiker that ambushes prey from a sediment burrow.
Overview
Eunice aphroditois, the bobbit worm, is a large marine polychaete of the family Eunicidae. It is a predatory bristle worm with an iridescent, deep purple to black body and five antennae on the head, and it can snap prey in half with retractable mandibles. In the aquarium hobby it is regarded as an unwanted pest that arrives unseen on live rock.
Taxonomy
- Family: Eunicidae
- Order: Eunicida
- Class: Polychaeta
- Scientific name: Eunice aphroditois
Habitat
The species lives mainly in the Atlantic Ocean and is also found in the Indo-Pacific. It inhabits coral reefs, sandy and muddy sediments, and areas around rocks and sponges, at depths recorded down to about 95 metres. It burrows into soft sediment, leaving only its sensory antennae exposed.
Size
- Length: from under 10 cm to nearly 3 m
- Maximum recorded length: 299 cm
- Body width: about 25.5 mm
- Lifespan: 3-10 years
Diet
It is an ambush predator. The worm buries its body in soft sediment and waits until its antennae detect prey, then strikes with its mandibles. It feeds as a carnivore on many fish species, can also act as an omnivore consuming algae, and functions as a decomposer of dead and decaying matter.
Compatibility
Eunice aphroditois is not reef-safe or fish-safe. In a closed system it will hunt fish and invertebrates, making it incompatible with all tankmates. If identified, it should be located and removed from the aquarium.