Weird worm

[steve611]

I was feeding my axolotls earthworms yesterday and I noticed a particularly weird worm that attached itself to the feeding container and would not let go no Matter how hard I pulled it off with tweezers. Eventually I gave up and got the scissors to cut it. Before I could do so, it had climbed out of the little feeding container I had and jumped into the tank. It was swimming real fast from each side of the tank and at this point the dirt on it had washed off and I noticed it was green (and really slimy ). Both axolotls went nuts trying to chase it and eventually one of them caught it and ate it. I didn't even attempt to take the worm out because it was swimming that fast. Just wondering... What that worm was and if it could be harmful to the axolotl that ate it.

 

[Bellabelloo]

Could it have been a leech?

 

[net]

are you on drugs? a green earthworm that swims? come on.

 

[layna]

I find all sorts of weird critters haha, i found out the other day i have some copepods and they dont bother my lottles, i imagine it will be fine

 

[Mortimer]

are you on drugs? a green earthworm that swims? come on.

Is this necessary???

 

[steve611]

Haha man it felt like I was.... I tripped out hard when I realised it wasn't an earthworm, And it was expanding like an alien.

I'm not sure if it's a leech, never really seen one to be honest. It would explain the amazing ability it had to cling onto objects with it's mouth. More worried about my axolotl and if it can do any damage from the inside. It's been a whole day since it happened so Im Hoping everything is OK.

 

[Kaysie]

Many leeches aren't parasitic, or are parasitic to specific hosts. If you cut it, chances are it died pretty quickly in the stomach.

Next time, video!

 

[Tigermoth]

From what you described it sounds like a leech, they can swim quite fast if it seemed to try and attach it'self to the food bowl at one end this would rule out an elver and unsure if you get lamp-rays where you are but cutting it would of killed it if it was a type of tubular fish. like alot of invertebrates (worm like) they can survive a very short time with a huge trauma such as being cut in half.

If it was green in colour it is a camouflage,slime as self defence they are only really dark once they have fed. So the leech was most likely hungry with it's attempt at escaping your hand it most likely sensed the heat and movement from you.

I agree with Kaysie, it would have died fairly quickly after being ingested so I wouldn't be too concerned.

As for the comment about worms not being able to swim, This is incorrect there are a number that can and do swim very well, nematodes are a good example as are tubifex, Flukes and some parasites such as tape worm just to name a few.