Northwest Dive Club

Last Sunday I saw a pretty creepy looking flat worm (I think) at Redondo. It was tan or pink, around 12-15 inches long, 1-inch wide, had a definite flattening to it, and was very smooth with clean straight lines (no ruffles/frills). It looked like a long tongue. When prodded it would swim up in the water a few feet then drift back down.

I like to know the names what I come across, so are there any websites with good pictures of worms found around here that I could look it up in?

It looked pretty much like this

From:
http://sst2011-s202sci.blogspot.com/201 ... tworm.html

Anyone know the name?

It's actually a big nemertean or ribbon worm- Cerebratulus californiensis.

dscuba wrote:Last Sunday I saw a pretty creepy looking flat worm (I think) at Redondo. It was tan or pink, around 12-15 inches long, 1-inch wide, had a definite flattening to it, and was very smooth with clean straight lines (no ruffles/frills). It looked like a long tongue. When prodded it would swim up in the water a few feet then drift back down.

I like to know the names what I come across, so are there any websites with good pictures of worms found around here that I could look it up in?

You touched something underwater? tsk tsk

Desert Diver wrote:You touched something underwater? tsk tsk

I'm sure it was in the name of science!

At first it looked like the innards from some clam... So yes, in the name of science (or poking dead things).

Greetings,

Here's a fun article from Ron Shimek on ribbon worms in general and cerebratulids like this in particular:
http://www.reef2rainforest.com/2013/05/ ... emertinea/
Note that the article has a photo of a worm virtually identical to the one shown in this thread.

Vermiculturally yours,
Alex