Red Planaria: What are they?
Commonly called red planaria, the name is not very descriptive as these flat worms are neither red, nor are they planaria. Convolutriloba sp. are small (about 5 millimeters in length), typically brown, and nearly rectangular in shape. These flatworms are photosynthetic, reproduce asexually by fission, and can thrive in the strong lighting of a typical reef aquarium, rapidly becoming a plague species that covers all available surfaces. The planaria are generally harmless in the aquarium, although they can be toxic to fishes. In addition planaria populations typically explode and then crash, potentially releasing significant amounts of toxins into the aquarium.
