Aquatic waterpillar ?

[Wu]

There are small caterpillary-looking things in my pond, each about the length of your little fingernail.

They are a sort of silky grey transluscent tube, and they have tiny, hair-thin 'snorkles'.

Does anybody know what they are ?

Whatever they are, I'm a big fan of them; they've eaten all the brown algae that was starting to grow on the plants.

[GuyF]

They sound like Mosquito larvae, they are pretty common in suitable bits of water.
Guy

[Wu]

Bingo !

Just Google Imaged it.

Oh well. I suppose it's worth the odd bite as long as they keep the plants nice and clean.

Thanks.

By the way, you wouldn't know anything about the tiny little red worms, as thick as a fishing line, who live in burrows and swim by twitching ?

I wonder if they're something's larvae, too.

[thunder]

Quote
tiny little red worms
Endquote

Sound like bloodworms, and they are the larvae of midges (Chironomidae)

henrya

[Dogghound]

Bloodworms are great for your pond a whole host of aquatic organisms will feed on them, they do develop into midges but non-biting ones so your ok, the are called bloodworms due to their red color which is caused due to their heamoglobin.

[Joemuz]

I found some of them little aquapillars or whatevery they are in my pond before we re-did it, they where slightly clear but with a grey, silver tinge to there boddies.

[Monkster]

Hi Wu
I'm glad you started this thread because last week I found this little thing swimming away in a water container and wondered what it was but I think you may have answered this for me.
Did they look like this? If so I now know what it is. (if not back to square one )

[Dogghound]

That is mosquito larvae too monkster, very common when the water surface is disturbed they shoot to the bottom, then slowly rise up .