White pointy-ended larvae in pond?

[vole-woman]

My son's just got back from a school trip in Delamere, Cheshire, where they did pond dipping, and he's describing pulling out an inch-long, fat, whitish/semi-transparent worm thing that was pointy at both ends. It sounds to me as though it might have had a segmented body, too.

I instantly thought 'rat-tailed maggot' but he's seen the pictures and insists his creature was pointy at both ends.

Any ideas what it might be?

[Tracey.A]

Hi,

I'm not sure, but you could get your son to look up the following and see if anything looks familiar - leech, worms (Nais Naididae), sorry, I don't know if any of these will be what he saw or not. I'm sure there will be an expert along very shortly though.

Tracey

[Kayleigh]

See if this helps..

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/inde...k.org.uk/pond/

[vole-woman]

Thanks.

I'm thinking from the suggestions here it might have been a roundworm. Yuk. Glad it wasn't me supervising!

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

Thanks.

I'm thinking from the suggestions here it might have been a roundworm. Yuk. Glad it wasn't me supervising!

I know I have a worm phobia.

[djackso]

There are several possible segmented Annelid worms but pictures are hard to come across. Enchytraeus or Lumbricillus are white, have a size of around 25mm and are pointed at both ends (Enchytraeus has a stiff body) - they live among plant roots in the pond.

[djackso]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

Thanks.

I'm thinking from the suggestions here it might have been a roundworm. Yuk. Glad it wasn't me supervising!

I don't think it will be this - I think they are thin and non-segmented.

[vole-woman]

I think it's Enchytraeus, going by the pictures. (Shudders.)

Thanks!