ID Flatworms

[cpeguero]

All,

 

any idea what sort of flatworms these might be? They’re all over my glass.  Nothing seems to be eating them. Are they something I should be worried about?
 

 

[xabo]

Could be: Acoel Flatworm - 

Neutral Hitchhiker. Doesn't harm anything, however, can grow greatly in numbers quickly.

Edited January 10, 2024 by xabo

[ReefdUp]

They're an Amphiscolops sp., a harmless acoel flatworm. They do grow in crazy numbers sometimes, and Flatworm Exit doesn't work on them. They seem to eat algae (and maybe even have some photosynthesis capability based on behavior). Wrasses, mandarins, pipefish, etc. may help control the populations, but there are no guarantees.

 

Recommendation: tolerate as part of a healthy ecosystem

[cpeguero]

Thanks for the replies. I’ve seen them off and on for a while, but just saw their numbers increase a lot recently. Wrasses don’t seem to be interested, but then again, they do get fed well…. If they won’t bother anything, I’ll just leave them alone. 😁

[Gatortailale]

Have you tried a six line wrasse? I’ve had good results with a six line

[DaJMasta]

I've got some similar looking ones in one tank, at their peak numbers they look a little messy and they appear to be photosynthetic (they'll go for well lit surfaces during the day), but I haven't had any particular issues with them and like you, their numbers have usually been pretty low and have fluctuated.  They don't seem to crawl around on corals.

[cpeguero]

Haven’t tried a six line, but don’t really want to. Since they aren’t doing any harm, I don’t think I need to get rid of them. Since six lines can get ornery, I’d rather not introduce one. The rest of the fish are pretty much getting along, and one or two of my future additions might do their own bit to disrupt things, so I dont want to add another unknown. 

[nburg]

I’ve had those come and go over the years. Population booms followed by them just disappearing one day. I think my mandarin ate them all a while back. She got fat around the time I noticed them gone.