CnidIDFAQs4

FAQs on Identification of Stinging-Celled Animals 4

Related Articles: Cnidarians, Water Flow, How Much is Enough,

Baby jellies... or some other creature? 1/4/06 Hi crew, <Chris> Sheesh. I had to get creative to photograph these critters. I snagged one with an eyedropper, placed it in a water drop on a slide, and popped it into my $20 National Geographic 'scope. After removing the eyepiece shield, I was able to snap a few photos of reasonable enough quality for ID purposes... I hope. <Neat> These pics are slightly out of focus, but the best I could get and still get the whole thing. ('scope/lens/user? limitations) I've seen some dozens of these, over the past few days, in my 55G saltwater tank. I'm seeing fewer lately, due to losses in my power heads and/or filtration, I suppose. (Or predation?) <A combo. no doubt> I didn't notice them today, until swishing around my LR with a turkey baster... blowing off some food that had 'settled'. (Perhaps these had 'settled' too... and I stirred them up?) <Likely so> Anyhow, they look for all the world like mini-jellyfish of some sort, though I couldn't imagine from whence they came. My only recent addition is a 6" ball of Caulerpa Racemosa from my QT. (Note that this QT also contains assorted amphipods, worms, and other tiny marine life that has accumulated over time) The Caulerpa had been in the QT for three weeks. <Mmm, are some sort of medusoid life> Most are about the size of this period. (Some are a bit larger) The photos show the rest of my observation. At "rest", they're full of water, their "valve" is closed, and you can see a few small protrusions between the two dark spots at the valve end. To move, they appear to expel water through the 'valve', and they contract axially, while extending longitudinally. (Moving away from the 'valve' end, of course) <Yes> Enough of my rambling, I suppose. Please edit and ditch any irrelevant babbling as you see fit. I won't mind. Do these look like anything you've seen before? <Mmm, yes... juvenile "jellies" of some sort (Scyphozoans, Hydrozoans) or ctenophorans...> Feel free to whack me in the head with a book of your choice, if these are something very common that I should've found on a simple web search. (I looked, but perhaps not hard enough) Tell me if you need more info, tank specs/inhabitants, etc... Thanks in advance, Chris <I wouldn't be overly concerned re these being in your system... likely "strobilized" from the new algae... or some other substrate. Will pass with time. Bob Fenner>

Hydroids? Aiptasia? Majano? Help! - 12/05/05 I have these little polyps spreading all over my live rock. They don't look like Aiptasia as their tentacles have "feathers". I think they may be some type of hydroid. <<A possibility...but they may also be Majano anemones.>> They sting everything and peppermint shrimp won't eat them (as of yet). Joe's Juice isn't effective either (they shrivel up only to open back up a day or two later). Can you please help me identify them and tell me how to get rid of them. <<Have a peruse through our FAQs starting here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/anemoniafaqs.htm>> They are not attached at the base and I've never seen one divide yet they spread like wild fire. They sting Xenia (and kill it) and everything else they come in contact with. You can see them in the pic to the right of the Xenia. Sorry for the size of this picture but it's hard to get a small one of them that you can actually see them in. <<There was no picture with the email.>> Any identification help and advice on how to get rid of them will be MUCH appreciated. I'd like to find a predator for them. They don't seem to need much (if any) light so they are hard to access (hide in small dark crevices). <<These anemones can quickly multiply to plague proportions. Do have a look in the FAQs, much info/help there.>> Thanks
<<Regards, EricR>>

Susan's Cnidarian Identification - Per James via Marina 12/5/05 Thanks! I didn't want to clog your inbox with them... I'm so interested to find out what you think. -Susan <<Susan, I've had some other crewmembers take a look at the photos, and this is what James has to say: "Marina, Looked in your folder at the pic. If I had to guess, I'd say it was a very small rock anemone. Regards, James" So, there you have it, he's guessing rock anemone (though that second shot, are its tentacles fully extended there?). In any event, it looks like a pretty, and honestly, unless it's causing you problems I'd just enjoy it. Marina>>

Polypoid ID 9/28/05 Hello Crew, <Ed> Does anybody know what these little bugs might be? <Mmm, some sort of Cnidarian... a polyp-animal of some species> I have done some research on your site and others. Doesn't really look like any of the pictures of copepods or amphipods. They are reproducing rapidly in my tank. My tank is currently cycling, I just put the live rock in two and a half weeks ago. Thank you, ED <Not to worry... these too shall pass... Enjoy them while they're there. Bob Fenner>

Quick ID Pleeeeease! Dear Crew, If you will, please ID this hitchhiker anemone for me so that I may take proper care. He does eat any and everything I feed him. If you can ID, how big might I expect him to get? Will he be a good host anemone? Thank you Mark <Mmm, actually... this looks more like a single-polyped stony coral to me... can you make out a calcified skeleton within this animal? At any length it is a Anthozoan, and likely to some degree photosynthetic... I would enjoy it! Bob Fenner>

Invert id 9/5/05 Hey guys.. quick question.. I was searching the coral i.d. <Not a coral...> and could not find this coral I now have in my tank due to a friend of mine moving, could you please tell me what it is?... <Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/corallim.htm and the linked files at top> thanks (pic attached) also I just finished placing my xenias, flower pot feather duster and leather (toadstool) around my tank... could you take a look at my pic and tell me if they are placed ok? <Not shown... but there are placement, Compatibility files on all these on WWM...> the feather duster is kind of touching the pulsing xenia, and suggestion from such a fine crew is Always appreciated! Thanks
Paul
<Read my friend... read. Bob Fenner>

Coral ID 9.2.05 Dear Bob and Company, <Howdy> First off BIG fan of the site, keep up the great work. <A tall order with a skeleton crew of volunteers on a ever-growing website... more volunteers, anyone? <G>> Now to the question. I can't identify this particular coral I have received. It was given to me, so I can't complain but I'm stumped. It is similar looking to a pipe organ polyp, in that it has a long stems, but not of the eight tentacle variety. It can fully retract into its rock, and this particular piece has about 50-70 individual polyps. Each polyp center is about an eighth of an inch in size, with a half inch to an inch-plus stem length. Each polyp has 16-20 small tentacles about 5 mm thick by one-sixteenth inch in length. The stems and polyps are greenish-brown and the tentacles, and centers, on the polyps are light green. This is under 2*65w actinic and 2*65w 50/50-10k compact florescent bulbs. I hope this is descript enough, <Without a close/clear picture... this is a pot-shot at best. Furthermore, I'm concerned if you are buying corals and other animals, but don't have a basic photo ID/husbandry book to refer to. Do seek Fabricius and Alderslade for soft corals (2001) and Borneman's "Aquarium Corals" for general coral keeping> I don't have a camera or else I would include a picture. If you know what it is and have any advice as to placement, water movement, light requirements, feeding, etc. That would be greatly appreciated. Rock On, Jonathan <you mention Tubipora as comparable, and I wonder if you are mistaking that soft coral (organ pipe) as a hard coral? If so, that would explain the lack of tubes, despite being compared to a Tubiporidae (you state the tentacles are fully retractile). If that's so... I'm then wondering if the animal is stony? Do polyps retract into stony calices? I'll take a random guess here and say that you have an encrusted patch of Goniopora. Do use the google image tool to find examples. Else a picture when you can, mate. Anthony>

Hydroids to Flatworms Hi Guys, I have a cluster of little brown pom-pom like things in my reef. Using the google search on your site, I found out that they are "a fairly common nuisance hydroid, Myrionema". My question was answered. <Good> While I was on the Hydrozoans FAQ page I noticed a posting titled "Stranded Hydroid! Yikes! 4/7/05". Your staff answered the question and identified the animal as a hydroid. I had similar things in my tank growing on a finger leather coral. It turned out to be some kind of flatworm. It had the same tentacles in the posted picture. The worm would release the tentacle into the current and pull it back repeatedly. <Strange, interesting... have not heard of, seen this offered re flatworm behavior ever> The worms are very clear, so they almost disappear when they are spread out over the surface of the coral which makes it seem that the tentacle is coming from the coral itself. <Good plan, eh?> I used Salifert Flatworm Exit in a bag of tank water and dipped the coral in it. After approximately 45 minutes the flatworm came off by creating a current in the bag with my finger. It was a clear, slightly cloudy flatworm. Even sitting on the bottom of the bag, it released the tentacle and pulled it back. The tentacle was a long single strand which had smaller lines coming off one side. I actually got a few of them using the dip. Each worm only had one strand - so if you see more than one - chances are that there are several worms. Great Site. <Thank you for this input. Will try to find the bit you reference and couple it with yours here> Dave Here was the full post from the FAQ: Stranded Hydroid! Yikes! 4/7/05 Hello WWM Crew, <howdy> I have a quick question for you regarding a finger leather and a strange set of tentacles coming from it. <yikes! they are not from the leather, but instead are from a stinging hydroid. They can be quite aggressive to other reef creatures and even burn your skin painfully> I have attached a picture of identical tentacles as what are coming from my leather but am unsure of how to deal with this issue. <manual removal> I have only had the leather for 3 weeks now and it has never extended a single polyp. <Perhaps it's irritated from the hydroid. More importantly... I fear you have added this coral to your tank without a proper quarantine period. Yikes, if so... it's a surefire way to introduce pests and predators to your tank like this hydroid> Every evening these threads come out and they are very intricate which is what led me to believe they were not just mucous. I cannot see anything on the leather itself by following the threads but there are 6 or 7 coming out. Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Regards, Scott B. <There are many types of hydroids in the world. Some look like corals... some look like algae... others more like jellyfish. Caution with all :) Anthony>

Hydroids... hydrozoan: what's in a name? 6/21/05 Ah, yes... understood. It really does look like a flatworm. Not so though. Its a ctenophore... benthic sort of "hydroid" or "jelly" (not the same, but kin). In the hobby... we have been calling the thing that I think you are seeing (a unique description... really sounds like it) "a hydroid" for lack of a better understanding/term. Pics of one of my own attached - its being scraped from the underside of a Fungiid. And... a link to a quick mention of the lil buggers here: http://www.seaslugforum.net/display.cfm?id=12274 Anthony :)

What is this? 7/4/05 Hello Everyone, <Hi there> Happy 4th! Can anyone identify what is growing all over this plastic plant (pic attached)? They look like "pearl onions" or small white sacks tied at the top, attached at their base and the only place I have found them are on this single plastic plant. They seem to have appeared overnight or within the last day or so as my wife and I take a good look at our tank every day to make sure the fish are doing well, any upside down snails etc. and have not noticed this until today. Are they O.K. or should they be removed? Any help would be greatly appreciated. <Leave them... look like some sort of polypoid life... Any chance of a close-up pic?> 150 gal, 175 pounds live rock, 50 gal sump/refugium, spg 1.024, ph 8.2, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 10, Ca 385 ppm, Alk 9 dKH <Bob Fenner>

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