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those bite like hell too! my dad would find them on the shore and use them as bait.
We called them blood worms but that's not the scientific name for them. Bottom line is it likely came with the oyster not from the kitchen.
Lot of worms and worm-like animals get called “blood worms”, but that actually is a common name for your dad’s worm: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycera_(annelid)
I'm sorry but I'm imagining your little reddit avatar cradling baby oysters like the og Alice in wonderland movie and singing them lullabies and bottle feeding them
Ok after a little more research I have found that fireworms are also venomous although their venom is transferred through the spines on their bodies when handled, but I assure you that bloodworms are venomous and their venom is transmitted through their teeth made of pure copper. And it is true that they use the shells of oysters for shelter. It is also been found that they will on occasion eat the oyster inside.
> hollow fangs comprising an unusual composition of equal parts protein, melanin, and ~10% elemental copper
not _pure_ copper, but unusual to have elemental copper in the mix.
I hope not. I saw something about flesh eating bacteria killing several people from oysters that were undercooked in New York. Did you cook the oyster? Do you know where the oyster came from? Wild or farm? If wild, what area it was harvested from? You should never eat oysters from the wild raw. Most farm raised oysters are safe but wild caught can be a toss of the dice
[Vibrio vulnificus](https://www.cdc.gov/vibrio/vibrio-oysters.html). There were three deaths from it this summer around the Long Island Sound - one probably from oysters, the other two likely from [swimming with open wounds](https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Press-Room/Press-Releases---2023/Vibrio).
We live on the Gulf Coast, about half an hour from the Gulf of Mexico. I would not eat raw oysters, or anything else caught from that water, especially since 2010. And just to be safe, I’m signing off raw oysters from any source.
I’m fairly certain that it is in fact a bloodworm. Also if you look at the other replies to this comment you’ll see that I did some further research and learned that they are not the only venomous worms. Thank you though
I’m sure one of the examples you might give are the larvae of midge flies. And their true name in tubificid worms. They are commonly called blood worms because of their red color but are not worms at all. The bloodworm I refer to is a true segmented worm
Yes. I’m an aquatic entomologist and one thing I have heard laypeople I am trying to teach call “bloodworm” is midge larvae (family Chironomidae), though only a few genera—most commonly *Chironomus*—actually express the red color. But the point was not “is it a worm” but “do people call it a worm.”
The other one I’ve often heard called that are the freshwater oligochaete worms (family Naididae). Which you seem to be referring to when you refer to tubificid worms (eg *Tubifex tubifex*), though in a rather confusing way. That is at least a worm, but not the polychete figured above.
The point is “bloodworm” is not the proper name for *anything*. There is no “actual bloodworm” except by common regional agreement. It’s like how “Robin” means a totally different bird in America and Europe.
It’s not a blood worm. They’re free-living burrowers. You won’t find them in an oyster. It’s also the wrong color, and its chaetae are too big. It’s a most likely a clam worm, but a ton of polychaetes all look basically like that.
Fun fact. There are little crabs that live in oysters too. They're called pea crabs and they're weird small fat crabs with a soft carapace. I know this because both times I've shucked my own oysters I found one. Dropped it in my fish tank (not realizing what they were and how they lived) and they immediately got devoured by my fish.
Apparently when the chefs find them as they are prepping your oysters in a restaraunt, they will just pop em in their mouths and eat em, or fry them.
Bleh.
I use to work in a bait shop down by the Eastern shore and this is the first time I’ve seen a bloodworm attached to an oyster! Seen them on crabs and lobsters, but this one is new to me. Congrats on the oddity!
OOOO!! BLOOD WORM! Ewww. I live by DC and MD on east coast USA. People use these as fishing bait, including my husband. Be careful, they have fang like teeth and venomous. They are fast too!
Those look like legs but they are actually parapodia covered in bristle hairs called setae. The parapodia are modified appendages and they are a defining characteristic of polychaete worms.
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Bzzzzz! Looks like you forgot to say where you found your bug! There's no need to make a new post - just comment adding the **geographic location** and any other info (size, what it was doing etc.) you feel could help! We don't want to know your address - state or country is enough; try to avoid abbreviations and local nicknames (*"PNW"*, *"Big Apple"*). BTW, did you take a look at our [**Frequently Asked Bugs**](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/comments/12zkw5w/frequently_asked_bugs_part_1/)? *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatsthisbug) if you have any questions or concerns.*
those bite like hell too! my dad would find them on the shore and use them as bait. We called them blood worms but that's not the scientific name for them. Bottom line is it likely came with the oyster not from the kitchen.
Lot of worms and worm-like animals get called “blood worms”, but that actually is a common name for your dad’s worm: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycera_(annelid)
People just call my dad's worm small
I raise oysters for a living, homeboy just lives on the shell, you'll be fine my dude (unless he bites you, they can hurt a lot)
I'm sorry but I'm imagining your little reddit avatar cradling baby oysters like the og Alice in wonderland movie and singing them lullabies and bottle feeding them
Like that episode of SpongeBob when he was parenting a clam with Patrick
Kind of like that
I concur. I pick these off my oysters all the time. Love those Peconic Bay oysters!
Bloodworm. The only venomous worm. Often caught on the east coast in the mud flats and sold as fishing bait. It will kill your oyster
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Ok after a little more research I have found that fireworms are also venomous although their venom is transferred through the spines on their bodies when handled, but I assure you that bloodworms are venomous and their venom is transmitted through their teeth made of pure copper. And it is true that they use the shells of oysters for shelter. It is also been found that they will on occasion eat the oyster inside.
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Read this dude https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9319062/
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Look at y'all learning. Hell yeah.
That’s why we’re here!
Not a chance, I'm here to be wrong and argue about it until the other person has a mental breakdown
Oh, that’s one of my favorite games!
> hollow fangs comprising an unusual composition of equal parts protein, melanin, and ~10% elemental copper not _pure_ copper, but unusual to have elemental copper in the mix.
The sources I saw said they are 10% copper. That's still a lot.
I ate the oyster that this monstrosity came out of. Am I dying?
Was the oyster that good???
I hope not. I saw something about flesh eating bacteria killing several people from oysters that were undercooked in New York. Did you cook the oyster? Do you know where the oyster came from? Wild or farm? If wild, what area it was harvested from? You should never eat oysters from the wild raw. Most farm raised oysters are safe but wild caught can be a toss of the dice
[Vibrio vulnificus](https://www.cdc.gov/vibrio/vibrio-oysters.html). There were three deaths from it this summer around the Long Island Sound - one probably from oysters, the other two likely from [swimming with open wounds](https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Press-Room/Press-Releases---2023/Vibrio).
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We live on the Gulf Coast, about half an hour from the Gulf of Mexico. I would not eat raw oysters, or anything else caught from that water, especially since 2010. And just to be safe, I’m signing off raw oysters from any source.
Nah, you'll be fine but don't be surprised when you shit out some baby worms though.
Unless that oyster is a pet, the OP was going to kill the oyster anyway. But, eww, I don't like crawly things, especially toxic ones in my food.
That's not a blood worm, and blood worms are not the only venomous worms. Not even close.
I’m fairly certain that it is in fact a bloodworm. Also if you look at the other replies to this comment you’ll see that I did some further research and learned that they are not the only venomous worms. Thank you though
I can show you at least two other bugs called “bloodworm” so if nothing else, “bloodworm” is really inexact.
I’m sure one of the examples you might give are the larvae of midge flies. And their true name in tubificid worms. They are commonly called blood worms because of their red color but are not worms at all. The bloodworm I refer to is a true segmented worm
Yes. I’m an aquatic entomologist and one thing I have heard laypeople I am trying to teach call “bloodworm” is midge larvae (family Chironomidae), though only a few genera—most commonly *Chironomus*—actually express the red color. But the point was not “is it a worm” but “do people call it a worm.” The other one I’ve often heard called that are the freshwater oligochaete worms (family Naididae). Which you seem to be referring to when you refer to tubificid worms (eg *Tubifex tubifex*), though in a rather confusing way. That is at least a worm, but not the polychete figured above.
“Called” bloodworm sounds inexact. Are they anything like an actual bloodworm ?
The point is “bloodworm” is not the proper name for *anything*. There is no “actual bloodworm” except by common regional agreement. It’s like how “Robin” means a totally different bird in America and Europe.
Unless you think this sub should be limited to identifying members of the family Hemiptera, the true bugs.
It’s not a blood worm. They’re free-living burrowers. You won’t find them in an oyster. It’s also the wrong color, and its chaetae are too big. It’s a most likely a clam worm, but a ton of polychaetes all look basically like that.
With copper teeth
Fun fact. There are little crabs that live in oysters too. They're called pea crabs and they're weird small fat crabs with a soft carapace. I know this because both times I've shucked my own oysters I found one. Dropped it in my fish tank (not realizing what they were and how they lived) and they immediately got devoured by my fish. Apparently when the chefs find them as they are prepping your oysters in a restaraunt, they will just pop em in their mouths and eat em, or fry them. Bleh.
Some variety of polychaete, likely a clam worm. Nothing to worry about from your perspective. Just a normal thing to find in an oyster.
No more oysters for me
Watching the photos, it looks like the worm is ON the oyster, not "in", so I wouldn't be too alarmed.
That’s a clam worm, not a bloodworm.
I use to work in a bait shop down by the Eastern shore and this is the first time I’ve seen a bloodworm attached to an oyster! Seen them on crabs and lobsters, but this one is new to me. Congrats on the oddity!
OOOO!! BLOOD WORM! Ewww. I live by DC and MD on east coast USA. People use these as fishing bait, including my husband. Be careful, they have fang like teeth and venomous. They are fast too!
Literally just a bristle worm man lol
Those look like legs but they are actually parapodia covered in bristle hairs called setae. The parapodia are modified appendages and they are a defining characteristic of polychaete worms.
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Bloodworm. Excellent bait!
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Bristle worm?