Baseodiscus quinquelineatus

(Quoy & Gaimard, 1833)

Striped Ribbon Worm

Range: Western Pacific/Australia

Natural Environment: Inhabits various types of hard and sandy substrates

General Husbandry: Has a temperature range of 72 to 83°F (22 - 28°C) and feeds at night upon mollusks, shrimp, crabs, and small fishes. Contains a long tubular proboscis that is used for sucking out vital body fluids in the animals it feeds upon. It is also used for burrowing. Besides crawling, they also can swim with undulations of their long body. Sometimes arrives on live rock, and thought to be an interesting oddity, however, not trustworthy in most aquariums. Should it be kept in an aquarium, needs pieces of raw fish and/or shrimp flesh spread on the sandbed surface in the early evening hours.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Nemertea

Family: Baseodiscidae

Genus: Baseodiscus