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|  » Stats |
Members: 50,177
Threads: 82,405
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Top Poster: glsammy (15,069)
| | Welcome to our newest member, Ruralman | |  | 
28-09-2009, 09:59 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 5
| | | Swimming worms
In my new pond I have noticed some small worm-like things swimming at a rate of knots using what can best be described as a figure-of-eight stroke. Anyone know what they are? Are they good guys or bad? |
28-09-2009, 10:09 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 1,039
| | | Re: Swimming worms
Possibly Tubifex worms 
__________________
Come forth into the light of things. Let nature be your teacher.
William Wordsworth |
28-09-2009, 10:33 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bridport, Dorset.
Posts: 663
| | | Re: Swimming worms
Do they swim downwards when disturbed before returning to the surface of the water? If so, could be mosquito larvae. |
28-09-2009, 10:44 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 1,039
| | | Re: Swimming worms
I did think of mosi larvae but they have a wide head that clings to the surface to breathe and not very worm like but they could well be them.
__________________
Come forth into the light of things. Let nature be your teacher.
William Wordsworth |
29-09-2009, 08:04 AM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 5
| | | Re: Swimming worms
They seem to swim around quite freely. Not constantly but from place to place. |
29-09-2009, 03:40 PM
|  | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Red Rose County
Posts: 5,205
| | | Re: Swimming worms
If they are almost transparent, they might be larvae of the Phantom Midge - Chaoborus plumicornis. If they are red, possibly bloodworms, larvae of many species of the Chironomidae midge family.
There are also many aquatic worms - Annelidae (Oligochaetes - Naididae, Tubificidae, etc.), but they generally tend to crawl around on and in the sediment, rather than free swim.
Regards,
Mike.
Last edited by Lancashire Lad; 29-09-2009 at 03:44 PM.
|
01-10-2009, 03:30 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 5
| | | Re: Swimming worms
Thanks Mike. I think they must be Chironomidae - they're red and there are plenty of midges around. I also have a couple of little bronze beetles that dive about the place. Is this the sort of thing that they feed on? |
01-10-2009, 06:14 PM
| | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Red Rose County
Posts: 5,205
| | | Re: Swimming worms
Blood worms & glass worms make good food for anything thats higher up the food chain.
They are commercially collected and sold in aquarist shops as live food for tropical fish.
Regards,
Mike. | | |
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