invertid20

FAQs about Non-Vertebrate Animal Identification 20

Algae, Bryozoan, UFO?

Worms or what.. and what to do? Maybe eat'em! 1/23/07 Hi guys, <Hi there David, Mich with you today.> I've tremendously enjoyed your site, and have learned many great things. <Most excellent!> I have a reef setup. About a week ago, I saw what looked to be "baby snails" laid on the overflow. These were white, crusty, corkscrew looking things. I scraped some off, and they were hard. <Sounds more like feather dusters. Are they mobile?> Tonight, after the main tank lights went down, I was watching my tank (cool things happen at night under the moonlights) <Yep!>, when I noticed some filamentous worms wiggly around, up toward the lights. I dipped one out, and this thing swam around for about 30 minutes, before apparently dying. These things swim like a sea snake. They are about 1/2" long, and kind of a light brown color. <Cool!> Any idea what these are? I searched high and low for photos, without luck. <Could be any of several thousand types of polychaete worms. Bob tells a story in the Reef Invertebrates book about swimming polychaetes, actually epitokes, that he encountered as a boy growing up in the Philippines. Bob, and other locals would gather and eat this delicacy!> In my tank I have a Hippo Tang, Foxface Rabbitfish, Golden Wrasse, Neon Dottyback, Lawnmower Blenny, Cleaner Shrimp, Banded Starfish, Emerald Crab, Strawberry Crab, and lots of snails. The only fish acting a bit weird is the Hippo Tang (and I see why they modeled "Dory" after this fish, it just acts weird), which has been scratching on the rocks. All fish's appetites are good. I feed frozen food (mysis, reef plankton, ground krill, + refugium algae). <Good.> Should I put my fish in my QT tank and treat them? <Why? Treat them for what?> I've only been up and running for about 3 months, with no problems to date. However, it looks like these "baby snails" are parasites getting ready to hatch. <Mmm, not likely.> Sorry, but I have no photos. <I think your concerns are misdirected.> Thanks!! <Welcome! -Mich> David

White hair patches on rocks and glass 1/23/07 I have had my 25 gallon FOWLR tank for a year now. A few months back I noticed a white fuzzy substance on the glass and some areas of the rock. There way more on the glass then the rocks. It almost looks like a fungus. The hairs are so thin you can't see just 1 strand. It looks like smoke as it waves around in the current. I've been wiping it off with my mag float. Everything seems to be doing fine but I wondered if you knew what this could be and if I should worry about it. <Very likely some type of worm... yes, they come this thin... But could be a bunch of other things... Wish you had an inexpensive scope (maybe a QX series... see the Net, WWM re). Bob Fenner>

Sponge-like creature ID, please? 1/23/07 Dear Crew, <Hi from HI Patty, Mich here today.> Greetings from the Caribbean! First, I would like to thank you all for such a great source of information. <Welcome, glad you have found it useful.> My father has been spearfishing (responsibly) for about 40 years and because of this, I have always been around the sea and interested in sea creatures. <Wonderful!> We are very lucky to live in Puerto Rico. <Yes, warm and sunny by the ocean with amazing sea life... what's not to like?> About 6 months ago, I started a small (10 gallon) saltwater tank (I was able to set it up thanks to your site, btw. So, thank you!) <Very good!> with sole purpose of keeping a fish that resembles the Whitetip Soldierfish on your site. I went with my father to collect it ourselves. The fish is super lively and doing great it only comes out to eat or at night, though). He's just gorgeous! I call him Candil (that's also the local name for that sort of fish around here). <Cool!> My husband brought me a small rock from the beach to decorate the tank and we found a surprise. After a few hours in our little quarantine tank, we saw something that looks like a honeycomb; It's about the size of a nickel, orange and has about nine openings that open throughout the day. I attached the image with this email. Do you guys and gals think you could help me identify it? <Mmm, Bob has some pics of these things from Sulawesi, he spent quite some time trying to figure out what it was and ended up filing it under misc. Some possibilities include sponges, Ascidians/Sea Squirts, bryozoans, stinging cell organisms and the one Bob thinks is most likely is actually an algae, maybe something like the Phaeophyta Colpomenia. He said what he saw felt a bit rubbery. Because he suspects it is a brown algae, he recommends dosing the tank weekly or concurrently with water changes with Iodine (Iodide/Iodate), even more so because you are using natural sea water.> I really think it's some sort of sponge. I looked through the FAQ's and can't find anything that looks quite like it. <Yes, a bit of a challenge!> While I love to look at this creature, I would also like to know if I can keep it or if we should bring it back. Although it's nice, it would be a crime for this creature to suffer on my account. I am lucky enough to be able to get fresh sea water weekly I change one gallon weekly). I collect it exactly from where I caught my fish) and I have 50/50 fluorescent-actinic03 blue lights. Is this enough to keep the little sponge? <It's hard to say what the care requirements are without being able to identify it. I would watch it and if it seems unhappy return it to it's natural home. Good luck with it!> Thank you all in advance for your time and help. <Welcome, my pleasure.> Best regards,
<Aloha! -Mich>
Patty S.

Re: Sponge-like creature ID, please? 1/26/07 <Hello Patty, Mich with you again.> Thank you for your help! <You are quite welcome! Upon further discussion and review another possibility came to light. Your addition might be a colonial ascidian or sea squirt or possibly sea pork, maybe Amaroucium stellatum. -Mich> Patty

White fluffy things - 1/22/07 Good Morning Crew <Hello Kerryn, and a good morning to you!> I have a new problem in my marine tank I can't identify the species, I've asked LFS they don't have a Scooby either, I cant find a picture to help me identify what it is. <Haha, I can't help but giggle a little at that one... I've never heard of a clue referred to as a "Scooby", do hope you don't mind if I borrow and add this to my repertoire! *grin* As far as identification goes, I will give it a try!> Little white fluffy things are growing on power heads - inside the protein skimmer and on some dead coral skeletons. These little white fluffy things don't move they but are multiplying rapidly. I have tried to rid them out of the tank by taking skeleton corals out and scrubbing power heads. They are easily removed (squished) <Sounds like a hitchhiker sponge that is thriving in your aquarium. I would consider these beneficial, they are filter feeders, helping 'naturally clean' your water.> Everything was going well I bought a couple of snails six weeks ago this is the only thing that has been added to the tank for months everything I have purchased is from the same marine shop. <Holy run-on sentence, Batman! Everything sounds fine here, Kerryn.> What could it be and how can I get rid of it. What I've been doing hasn't helped? Your help will be Greatly appreciated. Kerryn. <Well, Kerryn, I would continue doing as you are if they are a major visual nuisance. Otherwise, I would leave all be, as they will likely only benefit your tank. Hope this helps! -JustinN> Tank size 600 litres - 6ft by 2 by 2 Mostly Corals and Live Rock Three clowns Nemo - Marlin - Coral Two Yellow Tangs Two Blue Tangs - Dory 1 - D-2 Two Dotty Backs Canister Filter Two Power heads Marine Lighting that is a year old AND A MANTIS SHRIMP.

Identification Dear Mr. Fenner <Just Bob please> I need a big help in identifying these animals. <Okay> I am sending you 6 pictures as attachments. There are two orange color corals. One looks like a hard coral and the other looks like a small orange cone but I really don't know what these are. <Mmm, these aren't corals hon... they're sponges, Poriferans... at a wholesalers by appearances> Could you please let me know the scientific names for these two corals? <See WWM, elsewhere re sponges... these ones are non-photosynthetic... but not easily kept... have a "dark" side... as you will find> And let me know whether they are hardy corals. <Sigh....> Also I have sent you a picture of a Blue boxfish fish which is available in the pet store. Could you please let me know the scientific name for this boxfish and let me know whether it is a good addition for my 85G tank which contains 4 blue damsels, 2 medium clarkii clownfish and a lunar wrasse? Thanks in advance. <Is a male Ostracion meleagris... please see WWM... BobF> Best regards, Akila

Nudibranch?...Hmm, a Cuke I Think - 01/19/07 Hi Bob, <<Eric here today>> I have been looking online for days and cannot identify what I think is a Nudibranch. It was a hitchhiker with a button polyp. Sorry it's out of focus, but I can try again if it's not clear enough to ID. <<Hmm...>> I know they're hard to keep as I made the mistake of buying a Nudibranch once and it wasn't until after it died a few weeks later that I found out that they don't do well in tanks. <<Indeed...many/most are very strict obligate feeders>> I don't want to make the same mistake again! Any help you can give me would be most appreciated by both of us :) <<Well Susan, this actually looks to me to be a Holothuroid, a sea cucumber...perhaps Holothuria thomasi. Have a look here and see what you think: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/seacukes.htm >> Regards,
Susan
<<Cheers, EricR>>

Re: Nudibranch?...Hmm, a Cuke I Think - 01/20/07 Hi Eric, <<Hello Susan>> That looks to be my hitchhiker. <<Cool!>> I looked at a few posts of people with these asking if they are safe and also if it is safe for them to be in the tank. <<Are fine, in my opinion/experience>> Not sure I got a clear answer, any thoughts? <<Yep... I don't wish to understate the toxicity issues of these creatures or the devastation such an event can wreak in a closed system, but I have kept Holothuroids (have three different species in my tank right now) without incident since entering the reef-side of the hobby 17-years ago. Certainly some species are best left alone/only attempted by expert aquarists such as the genus Pseudocolochirus (Sea Apples) and some of the other brightly colored "suspension feeders," but there are some "deposit feeders" that I feel do quite well and also present a lesser degree of danger from tank poisoning. One of these is what I believe you have, Holothuria thomasi or the Tiger-tail cucumber. As long as nothing is attacking/bothering the cucumber and you afford adequate food availability to preclude starvation, I feel you have little to fear>> I have a small 24-gallon tank. <<These critters don't grow exceedingly fast...one specimen should do fine for quite some time in this tank>> Should I take him back to the LFS? <<Is up to you...but were it me, I would keep/watch/study this interesting and beneficial detritivore>> Thanks again for your help! Susan
<<A pleasure to share. Eric Russell>>

Mystery Pod... worm? 1/16/07 Hi Crew, <Laurie> Would any of you folks know what the pod in the attached pictures is? <Mmm, not a "pod" as in a crustacean... appears to be a type of tubiculous worm...> The first photo is of a pod that I removed from the water. As you can see, the texture is prickly, and it sort of has a "crown" on the one end. <Yes... is this thing ambulatory? That is, does it move?> The second photo shows a very large pod attached to a Halimeda in my algae scrubber (sorry for the blurriness of this one). I have not been able to identify these. I just want to be sure that these are not harmful. <Mmm, are not harmful... make their own tubes... for protection... are filter feeders> I have no idea if they are plant or animal or something in between. Thanks much! Regards, Laurie Ostrander <Animals, Annelids, Polychaetes, Sedentariates... Bob Fenner>

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