WANTED: Polyclad flatworms

[zygote2k]

I'm willing to put to rest another fish tale.

Give me all of your polyclad flatworms and I'll mix them in a container with 4 types of common aquarium snails and see just what they eat.

I'll pay $5 for each flatworm and post results here when done.

Any takers?

Bueler?

[Origami]

Just in case you're interested in reading more, here's an entire site devoted to papers on the biology of polyclad flatworms, maintained by a guy at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. (Imagine that.) And here's a page on their feeding habits.

 

From it, "Most common, polyclads are active carnivorous predators and scavengers and can be found feeding on various sessile invertebrates." Specific stuff mentioned includes tunicates, oysters, and giant clams. AEFW are a polyclad flatworm, too. It's a whole order (polycladia), so there's going to be variation, I'm sure, in what various worms consume. It would not be out of the question that some might feed on snails.

 

It's a really cool site actually. Here's the top level.

[Cliff Puckstable]

I would pay to see a flatworm/invert fight club.

[gmerek2]

Ill tell you what if I find one ill give it to you FREE for science and entertainment purposes.

[AlanM]

I think I have a spaghetti worm in my sand. You want one of those too if it ever pokes its head out?

[zygote2k]

I'll pass on spaghetti worm as it might get eaten by a big flatworm.

I had some of the big ones but foolishly gave them away. They might have eaten snails but I'd never know it because at any given time I had 100 or more.

Now I want to put them together in a small tank and watch the games begin.

[flooddc]

Free if I can find it!?

[gmerek2]

Oh gosh this is going to turn into fish tank hunger games.

[Origami]

Where's Tim's mantis shrimp when you need it?

 

Sent from my phone

 

 

[zygote2k]

Where's Tim's mantis shrimp when you need it?

 

iSent from my phone

I already have a big mantis shrimp too. Just in case the worms don't eat the snails. It's the backup plan.

[John Ford]

It's always good to have a backup~