Help IDing this predator that just ate my Maxima clam

[Kensington Reefer]

Looks like a leopard polyclad they get palm sized. Found one cruising on the glass a year ago. Also had no idea how it ended up in my tank just assumed live rock. Also they reportedly cary a deadly neurotoxin tetrodotoxin (TTX) the same toxin in our california newt, puffers and other marine organisms. Wondered why my cuc shells were piling up! Use gloves.. glad you got it in one piece since I’ve heard they can regrow. Here’s the one I found think it was around 2 1/2 inches. Haven’t seen another one but good reminder to check your tank an hour or so after complete darkness. Also make sure any ambient extra lights are off as well near the tanks and use a red led flashlight.
Good luck
Paul

Paul
is that your photo?
did you see it crawling around in your tank?
and ...thats very good to know about the toxicity!!

 

[PjFish]

Paul
is that your photo?
did you see it crawling around in your tank?
and ...thats very good to know about the toxicity!!

Yeah found it one late night! Kept it in a gallon jar for several months feeding bits of clams until the wife found and promptly flushed down the toilet !! Was hoping to grow it palm sized lol..

 

[Kensington Reefer]

Yeah found it one late night! Kept it in a gallon jar for several months feeding bits of clams until the wife found and promptly flushed down the toilet !! Was hoping to grow it palm sized lol..

yikes!
bummer...

 

[wayne]

This is great info thanks @wayne ! Maybe throw it back into clean seawater now to see if it recovers.

it's alive

it unfurled from its ball of protective mucous

 

[MichaelB]

it's alive

View attachment 53999
it unfurled from its ball of protective mucous

Ouch been following along. Seems dipping for this is a no go. Leaves flame throwers, battery acid, and a 500 degree oven

I've seen a few utube videos of them if they weren't bad guys, It’s something interesting and weird enough that I'd want one in a tank.

 

[Darkxerox]

it's alive

View attachment 53999
it unfurled from its ball of protective mucous

Well there we go! Do you have any potassium salt based dips like reef primer?

 

[wayne]

Ouch interesting following along. Seems dipping for this is a no go. Leaves flame throwers, battery acid, and a 500 degree oven

I've seen a few utube videos of them if they weren't bad guys, It’s something interesting and weird enough that I'd want one in a tank.

lol I have gone down the rabbit hole that is Polyclad worms. my heart is devastated so I'm on a path of revenge lol

so dipping with ReVive causes a pretty severe defense mechanism it seems, enough that it would fall off a frag for sure. However, it doesn't kill it or if there are eggs on the frag. The ReVive has definitely caused some damage though.

What I've found so far is:
FlatwormRx/Flatworm exit is useless against Polyclad, even at 4x the dose concentration
Polyclad worms are most likely too large for wrasse predators to be effective control, esp for wrasse options suitable for an IM25EXT Lagoon
It seems that people do R/O dips for clams for prevention, Bayer Advance dip for clams is also a thing
The one lead I have so far is PraziPro. It may be an option to treat the display tank. I have an expired bottle on hand but I've dosed some to this specimen and it looks to have been successful - I'll have to run to the store to buy a new bottle.

 

[wayne]

Well there we go! Do you have any potassium salt based dips like reef primer?

ooh I don't, this is something I'll have to look into

I guess the solutions I'm looking to solve currently are first, eradicating any that are remaining in my display where I don't turn over rock work and take rock work out to dip and scrub, that option doesn't work for me as my structures are all epoxied and super glued together and the bases are buried in a deep sand bed. Second, preventing any hitch hikers on items I can't use ReVive on. Its the only thing I can think of as to how it got into my system, it hitchhiked in on something I didn't dip with revive. I would love to have another clam but I would be devastated if I lost one again.

 

[derek_SR]

it's alive

View attachment 53999
it unfurled from its ball of protective mucous

Throw it into the volcano!!

 

[grizfyrfyter]

Dipping doesn't kill most things. It only stuns them so they are easily removed.

A water dental pick is AMAZING for cleaning corals and stuff in a dip.

I know flatworms are very succeptable to osmotic shock so a freshwater dip is a death sentence.

 

[grizfyrfyter]

You can probably build a trap (or have one 3d printed) and bait it at night to see what comes out in the morning. It may not be an eradication solution but it should give you a clue about population in the system.

 

[MichaelB]

lol I have gone down the rabbit hole that is Polyclad worms. my heart is devastated so I'm on a path of revenge lol

so dipping with ReVive causes a pretty severe defense mechanism it seems, enough that it would fall off a frag for sure. However, it doesn't kill it or if there are eggs on the frag. The ReVive has definitely caused some damage though.

What I've found so far is:
FlatwormRx/Flatworm exit is useless against Polyclad, even at 4x the dose concentration
Polyclad worms are most likely too large for wrasse predators to be effective control, esp for wrasse options suitable for an IM25EXT Lagoon
It seems that people do R/O dips for clams for prevention, Bayer Advance dip for clams is also a thing
The one lead I have so far is PraziPro. It may be an option to treat the display tank. I have an expired bottle on hand but I've dosed some to this specimen and it looks to have been successful - I'll have to run to the store to buy a new bottle.

Sorry for the loss, I've been Really wanting one, but after hearing about people loosing them on utube and now yours, I've yet to build up the nerves to try a clam, i'd be heartbroken if I got one and lossed it. So I hope you find a solution and there aren't any more of those critters lurking in your tank.

 

[Darkxerox]

lol I have gone down the rabbit hole that is Polyclad worms. my heart is devastated so I'm on a path of revenge lol

so dipping with ReVive causes a pretty severe defense mechanism it seems, enough that it would fall off a frag for sure. However, it doesn't kill it or if there are eggs on the frag. The ReVive has definitely caused some damage though.

What I've found so far is:
FlatwormRx/Flatworm exit is useless against Polyclad, even at 4x the dose concentration
Polyclad worms are most likely too large for wrasse predators to be effective control, esp for wrasse options suitable for an IM25EXT Lagoon
It seems that people do R/O dips for clams for prevention, Bayer Advance dip for clams is also a thing
The one lead I have so far is PraziPro. It may be an option to treat the display tank. I have an expired bottle on hand but I've dosed some to this specimen and it looks to have been successful - I'll have to run to the store to buy a new bottle.

Fresh water dips for clams can be very effective. Just make sure you match the pH!

I've only seen these polyclads in my sump and another tank with Caribbean live rock. Both times I found them when taking the rocks out of the water to glue things or rinse off detritus. They definitely don't like air and start moving quickly when exposed.