“What is this worm found in a stock tank in Oklahoma?” asks this reader about the white worms with brown stripes pictured below. The worms vary in size, with some smaller worms latching on to the bigger ones.

“The tank was dry and when water was added this worm appeared”, she continues, providing the last of the context to go along with this fantastic picture. Unfortunately, despite the crisp image and the information provided, we are not able to provide a concrete identification of this creature. No matter how much sleuthing we did, we always came up short with answers.

At first we thought they might be black fly (Simulidae) larvae, as they have been known to show up in people’s aquariums. On top of that, there is a brownish, pouch-shaped object near the top of our reader’s photo that we thought looked a bit like a black fly larva. However, at no stage do black fly larvae resemble the white worms present in our reader’s stock tank, so we quickly dismissed this idea.

Alternatively, we considered detritus worms, which are very common in water and fish tanks. As their name suggests, they feed on detritus (animal and plant waste), they usually come in big groups, and they are white in color. That said, they still do not resemble these worms.

What we advise is that our reader take some of these worms to her local county extension office and give them the same pictures and context. There, someone will be able to physically inspect the worms and will perhaps have a better chance at identifying them. Likewise, if any of our other readers have any ideas as to what these could be, they are more than welcome to share them in the comments section below.

Additionally, we recommend that she ensure that her stock tank is kept well-sealed and is regularly cleaned to avoid more organisms finding their way into the tank.

In conclusion, as unfortunate as it is, we are not able to identify these worms. We have never seen anything quite like them. Regardless, we hope that our reader found something insightful or helpful in this article, and we wish her the very best.

Summary

Article Name

White Worms with Brown Stripes Found in Stock Tank are an Unsolved Mystery

Description

"What is this worm found in a stock tank in Oklahoma?" asks this reader about the white worms with brown stripes pictured below. The worms vary in size, with some smaller worms latching on to the bigger ones.

Author

Worm Researcher Anton