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FAQs about Non-Vertebrate Animal Identification
26 Related Articles:
Marine Invertebrates, Marine
Invertebrate Systems, Marine
Invertebrate Compatibility, Marine
Invertebrate Disease, Marine
Invertebrate Reproduction,
Quarantine of Corals and Invertebrates,
Feeding Reef Invertebrates,
Lighting Marine Invertebrates,
Water Flow, How Much is Enough,
Related FAQs: Non-Vert IDs 1,
Non-Vert IDs 2, Non-Vert IDs 3,
Non-Vert IDs 4, Non-Vert IDs 5,
Non-Vert IDs 6,
Non-Vert IDs 7, Non-Vert
IDs 8,
Non-Vert IDs 9,
Non-Vert IDs 10, Non-Vert IDs 11,
Non-Vert IDs 12, Non-Vert IDs 13,
Non-Vert IDs 14, Non-Vert IDs 15,
Non-Vert IDs 16, Non-Vert IDs 17,
Non-Vert IDs 18, Non-Vert. ID 19,
Non-Vert. ID 20, Non-Vert. ID 21,
Non-Vert. ID 22, Non-Vert. ID 23,
Non-Vert. ID 25, Non-Vert ID 27,
Non-Vert ID 28, Non-Vert ID 29,
Non-Vert ID 30 Non-Vert ID 31,
Non-Vert ID 32, Non-Vert 33,
Non-Vert ID 34, Non-Vert ID 35,
Non-Vert ID 36, Non-Vert ID 37,
Non-Vert ID 38, Non-Vert ID 39,
Non-Vert ID 40, Non-Vert ID 41,
Non-Vert ID 42, & Marine Invertebrates,
Marine Invert.s 2, Marine Invert.s 3,
& FAQs about: Marine Invertebrate
Behavior, Marine Invertebrate
Compatibility, Marine Invertebrate
Selection, Marine Invertebrate
Systems, Feeding Reef Invertebrates,
Marine Invertebrate Disease,
Marine Invertebrate Reproduction, &
& LR Life
Identification, LR Hitchhiker ID 1,
Anemone Identification,
Aiptasia Identification, Aiptasia ID
2, Worm Identification,
Tubeworm ID, Polychaete
Identification, Snail Identification,
Marine Crab Identification, Marine
Invert.s 1, Marine Invert.s 2,
Marine Plankton, | 
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Weird Micro Creatures... No, Cool Microfauna! 7/5/07
<Hi Tom (TB
reminds me too much of a nasty disease.) Mich here.>
I have a 4 month
old 80 gallon salt tank with 2 medium sized pc.s of live rock. I have
all my starter damsels
<We don't recommend cycling with damsels just
as an FYI.>
and a clown plus some turbo snails and hermits.
<OK.>
Over the last couple weeks here is the best description I can give:
<Obviously photos would be most helpful here, but I will take my best
guess at ones I may be able to ID by the descriptions you've provided.>
First I get all these pinhead sized white dots on the glass. They look
like eggs. But on closer examination (with a loop) I see they are
translucent (I can see food being digested) they have small fans where
the snail foot would be. They are spiral shaped. They don't seem to be
getting any bigger or more numerous there are over 200 of them.
<Yes,
these are likely Spiral tube feather dusters (Spirorbis spp.). They feed
on organic particulates and phytoplankton and are not a cause for
concern.>
Then while using my loop on the glass I started noticing
other stuff.
<How cool!>
I have now recorder 6-7 different tiny
micro animals.
<Neat!>
They are:
Tiny oval shaped reddish color
bug like things that don't swim but scoot around the glass and seem to
be hanging out in areas of green algae I have not cleaned.
<Mmm, not
sure here. These could be undesirable acoel worms. Planaria can be
difficult to eradicate. More here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/flatworms.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/pestflatwrmanthony.htm
and related links
in blue>
Next are even tinier red worm like things that slither all
over the glass.
<OK.>
I have seen other white colored stuff that
is just too small to give a description moving about.
<OK.>
Then
under the sand I have noticed these crustacean looking guys that are
building tunnels at the level between sand and live gravel on the
bottom. They work hard all night tumbling the individual stone and
appear to be eating whatever the find.
<Perhaps Spaghetti worms
(Terebellidae spp.), good detritus eaters.>
I also have these work
like things that come out at night and are very shy when I turn a
flashlight on them they are extending downward from the live rock but as
soon as I hit them with the light they retreat.
<Likely peanut worms
(Sipunculid spp.), harmless beneficial detritivores.>
There are also
these worm like things that travel on top of the gravel but also I can
only see them at night and they are very fast. They may be more
crustaceans as they have some small feet on the side of a white flat
body.
<Possibly a Scud (Gammaridean amphipod). Gammarus shrimp are
excellent detritivore.>
Lastly I have seen only a few times a white
very small 4-legged thing with a small round central body. It slithers
over the rock at night but is impossible to spot in the full light.
<OK.>
I know this is a lot of stuff but is this normal?
<Yep!>
I think it cool but is it a problem?
<Nope!>
TB
<Wish you could
capture images of all these! Keep enjoying the microfauna in your tank!
Cheers, Mich>
Re: Weird Micro Creatures... No, Cool Microfauna! – 07/06/07
Mich:
Awesome reply.
<Thanks, glad you liked.>
TB stands for
Tom Beckett but I get the disease reference.
<I have a medical
background… different first thought…>
Anyway I really appreciate the
thoughtful reply to my inquiry.
<You are most welcome.>
I have
had cichlids for 20 years and loved it but after my house fire destroyed
everything (and poached my fish) I thought I would give Salt a try.
<Wow! I'm so sorry for your tremendous loss.>
It's been a gas so far
and this type of online help is amazing thanks again.
<Glad to help.>
I have captured a few photos on the spiral things but everything else is
either too small or too shy.
<Yes is difficult to capture many of
these critters in photos.>
So what's the deal with the damsels? The
guys at the store recommended
them based largely on the fact that
they are durable.
<Yes, but it is cruel to place them in these
situations. More here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/estbiofiltmar.htm
The yellow tails have become real aggressive though and I want to evict
them now.
<Not terribly surprising.>
It's been since March and the
tank looks pretty good.
<You system is still young, so you may
experience some algae blooms.>
The water checks out each time I test
it.
<Excellent.>
So am I ready to ad some more delicate
varieties?
<Depends on what you are considering "delicate"
varieties. I would avoid anything that requires pods for nutrition ie
Mandarin gobies, anthias etc. Do some research on the types of fish you
are considering. Assuredly you will find some information on this site.>
Thanks again
<Welcome! Mich>
TB
Centipede? Mmm, No, Definitely Not a Centipede... 7/5/07
Can you please identify this creature that came out of the rock
today?
<Mmm, hopefully.>
It was going after a piece of krill
that we dropped.
<I see it.>
Is it something to be concerned
about?
<Unlikely. I'm having a difficult time discerning the
overall length of this creature. If the total is less than a 1/4 of
an inch, it is likely a Scud or a Gammaridean amphipod. Gammarus
shrimp are harmless and desirable detritivores. If it is
significantly longer, and more like a worm, then it may be a Bobbitt
worm (Eunice spp.). Eunicid worms can be predatory, but are usually
efficient and beneficial scavengers.>
Thanks
<Welcome! Mich> | 
|
What Is This Flower Like Thing? A Serpulid Fan Worm – 06/28/07
Hi
Crew
<Hi Judi! Mich with you.>
You have all been great answering
questions in the past.
<Wonderful to hear!>
I have ‘something’ on
my live rock and finally got a decent pic of it (below).
<I see.>
I could not find any reference to this on your website or in your book.
<Oh, I promise you they are there.>
When ‘shy’ it is just a pin-prick
of a white dot. Then it will open like a flower to what you see above
(the ragged white circle in the middle of the picture). It is smaller
than the head of a pencil eraser. I have recently found one more on a
different rock. I have noticed it for at least 6 months now, so I’m sure
it has been there longer. It active during the day and at night.
<Judi this is a feather duster, a Serpulid fan worm, a harmless filter
feeder. You can learn more here and the related links in blue:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/feather.htm >
Thanks for your help.
<Welcome! Mich>
Judi
Re: What Is This Flower Like Thing? A Serpulid Fan Worm 6/30/07
Thanks Mitch.
<Welcome Judi!>
I was wondering if it was something
like that;
<Yes, I am quite confident with this ID. However, there
was a little discussion about this and I am wondering if you could tell
me, can this creature go from open to "shy" as you put it quickly...ie
if it is startled does it quickly close?>
I thought from pics I've
seen that most of the Serpulid Fan Worms appear in clusters in the book,
and this one is solitary.
<Yes, there are colonial and solitary
species.>
I do have a couple of small feather duster type worms.
<They are common.>
I also get two spaghetti worms - one type is a
bright red and the other has alternating black/white segments. Both
easily found in the book. Great book, by the way.
<Glad you like it!
Mich>
Judi
Re: What Is This Flower Like Thing? A Serpulid Fan Worm
7/2/07
Hi Mitch
<Hello
Judi! Mich with you again.>
When it closes it is immediate - almost
like it is not even there anymore. Sometimes I cannot even find the tiny
white dot with my magnifying glass It opens fairly quickly although I
can see it happening. Like a flower blooming on high speed fast forward.
When it closes it is like a door slamming shut.
<Thank you for your
reply Judi. This is the classic behavior of a feather duster and
confirms the original ID.
Cheers, Mich>
Judi | 
Mmmm, maybe not. The bulbous tips... RMF
|
Hitchhiker ID?... Foram 6/24/07
Hello Crew-
<Hi there Ester, Mich here.>
I am hoping to ID this beauty from
one of my new batches of live rock. I have tried to search, but
since I don't have a clue to what it is, so I am at a loss.
<Yep, been there done that!>
If I could just get a hint of
direction (algae, sponge, coral, ???) that might help narrow down my
search, since each of those categories have thousands of
possibilities. Just
a few details... it is about the size of a
marshmallow (not the big campfire ones, but the small ones), it
doesn't seem to move at all, and it has little hairs that seem to
trap many tiny particles as they float by.
<Looks like a Foram to
me, likely Homotrema rubrum. This animal requires little in terms of
care and is quite tolerant of various reef conditions. It is a
harmless, pretty addition to your tank. Enjoy it!>
Thanks for
your help in this ID!
<Welcome! Mich>
Esther See |
http://www.susqu.edu/students/f/forgues/papers%20on%20website/PorkyPig1a.htm
Currently Foraminiferans are in their own phylum... RMF. | 
Wow, very nice! RMF
|
Invert IDs, TWA 6/21/07
Hey Crew.
<Andy>
I was
hoping that you could help me ID some inverts that came in on some
Florida aquacultured live rock that I purchased. I have scoured WWM
and the web but came up empty. I believe the creature in the first
picture is some type of soft coral.
<Mmm, to me also... though
this may be the beginnings of a gorgonian... likely of the genera
Telesto or Stereotelesto... even an antipatharian... Antipathes
lenta... Easier to make out with growth>
At first, I assumed it
was an algae, but then I noticed it will retract very quickly
<Oh! Not likely the latter on this info.>
into its "cave" if my
cleaner shrimp touches it and then will immediately come back out to
play once danger is away. The second picture is some type of
anemone.
I want to know if it is what you guys refer to as a
"pest" anemone so that I can clear it out before it starts to go all
sexual on me.
Thanks for your help!
Andy
<Is likely a
Sponge Anemone... though could be a Glass Anemone...
BobF>
Re: Invert ID 6/22/07
Bob,
<Andy>
Thanks for the help.
It's amazing what pops out of rock. My wife thinks it's totally
crazy that I sit in a chair, face pressed against the glass staring
at my rock to see what I can see.
<Well... you can make known to
her from me that we could start a very sizable club! BobF> |  
|
White Critters, water striding somethings in a SW sump
6/20/07
Ok I have live rock in my wet/dry where the water intake
from the tank goes/where bio balls were. Floating on top and only on top
are white gnat like creatures skimming the top of the one side. There
are hundreds of them and I can't get a pic of them they're too small and
fast! White with wings and legs size of a pin drop. Any clue cause it's
only in this part of the sump and not in the house or tank. Sorry for
not much info just maybe you have some sort of an idea or heard of this
before thank you.
Don V.
<... Are these insects? Not common in
SW... Maybe Halobates, Gerrids... Please see the linked files in this
search:
http://www.google.com/search?q=saltwater+water+strider+insects&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7PCTA
Bob Fenner>
Little Tubes Everywhere...Feather Dusters 6/20/07
Ok I have
two tanks a 72 bow and a 36 bow. All normal levels (nitrite, nitrate,
ammonia) in both tanks at 0. Ph in both 8.3 and salinity 1.024. Large
tank has been up for almost 1 year with few probs. It currently houses
60lbs of indo pacific live sand and 40lbs(I know I need more) of live
rock. One 5 in Niger Trigger, One 4 In Picasso Trigger, One 5 In Foxface
Lo, and 4 or so turbo snails. Small tank up for about 4 months no probs.
It houses 30lbs of live sand, and 15 lbs live rock. One Maroon Clown,
One Large Long tentacle Anemone, One Mandarin Dragonet. 3 Turbo snails.
<Your LTA may eat you Mandarin. I would not house these together.>
Now for the problem and it is arising in both tanks. Growing on the
underside of the live rock (Hiding from light) Are these little
white/clear tube like things everywhere. They range from very very small
to 1/2in. They are even growing on m bio foam material on the output
flow on my little Whisper H.O.T. filter on the small tank. I have seen a
few of them put out these little arms about 6-8 of them from the center
of the tube that are brown/white striped the suck all the way in when I
shine a light on them. I hope they are not the dreaded Aiptasia but I
don’t know.
<They sound like feather dusters to me! They can be
quite tiny. More here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/feather.htm >
I
will try to get a pic up for you if you have no idea. Thanks for
everything.
<Welcome!>
Keep up the great work...
<We try,
every day! Mich>
Unknown White Growths...Nerite Snail Eggs 5/15/07
Hello all...
<Hi David, Mich with you tonight.>
First I
would like to mention that I love your site and I find a lot of much
needed information on it that I use in the daily maintenance of my
tanks.
<Thank you for this fine compliment!>
Now, to my problem/dilemma. Over the past two weeks I have been
having a problem with ich and some other parasites attacking the
swim bladder that caused me to lose 9 fish in 2 1/2 days
<Yikes!!! I'm very sorry for you large loss.>
(believe it or
not, this is not my problem).
<Ok, I'm a little
scared now!>
The other day when I woke up I went to look at my
tank to see how the survivors are doing and much to my surprise all
my live rock and even the snail shells were covered with these white
growths (I've attached two pictures, one of the snail shell
(IMG_0485) and one of a piece of my live rock(IMG_0504)). I've
searched your website, along with some others, and I may be missing
something or using the wrong keyword but I cannot find anything that
resembles or sounds like this outbreak. I'm guessing that it has
nothing to do with the ich and other parasites that have taken over
my tank but I would like to know what these unknown growths are and
how to treat them.
<Seems like you have some frisky Nerite
snails in you tank. These would be Nerite snail eggs, they
generally don't mature in captivity and there is nothing to treat
here. A photo here:
http://www.wildsingapore.com/chekjawa/largfoto/r422fx.htm >
I took one of the snail shells to my LFS and after careful
examination the owner determined that it looked like this growth
feeds off of calcium. He came to this conclusion by taking a razor
blade to the growth and removing it. When it came off the shell was
all soft and a few layers could easily be scraped off. When you
took the razor blade to other parts of the shell where no growths
were, the shell was hard, as it should be. Could this be clam or
mussel larvae? When I got home I was looking around my tank and
found a snail that had a growth (looks like a shell) on it. I've
attached that picture as well (IMG_0512). I'm sorry about that
picture but it was as close as I could get to the turbo snail using
my digital camera and lens. Do you have any suggestions as to what
this problem could be?
<This is not a problem or
anything to be concerned about. You will likely see these "sesame
seed" like eggs wax and wane in your system.>
If so, how do I
treat it because my 125 gallon is stocked full of these white
growths. Thank you for your time and continued knowledge.
<Welcome! My pleasure to assist.>
Good night....Dave
<G'night! Mich> |  
|
Strange creatures on the aquarium glass 5/3/07
Dear Sir,
<Adeel>
I hope you are doing good. This is my
first time, so I apologize if not following any fixed procedure for
asking a question.
<You're doing fine>
Tank Details : I
have a 50 gallon fish only salt water tank with some amount of live
rock. Its been about 6 weeks or so since I setup the tank. I collected
water from the sea FYI. I have two 3 striped damsels. Just today I added
a pair of percula clown. All other parameters are normal...since I
believe the nitrate cycle must be complete by now.
<Yes>
Question : I have noticed very very tiny almost a dot sized white
spots on the aquarium glass. On close observation, I noticed the white
dots actually have tiny white hair/spikes...almost like a tiny
microscopic sun or a microscopic flower. It is totally white. When I
push it off the glass with the tip of a stick, the creatures just falls
off and floats with the water current till it settles down. I hope I
have given a good description. What are these things and do I need
them?
<Mmm, could be a polyp form of life of some sort...
Cnidarians... of any of the three Classes... Hydrozoan... Scyphozoan...
or...?>
Are they beneficial...if not how can I kill them?
<No
way to tell, and not likely easy... Very likely "came in/along" with the
water... If you want to continue to collect your own, it needs to be
processed... in the dark, by poisoning possibly... Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/seah2onatural.htm
and the linked
files above>
I have put in too much in setting up the tank and
cannot think about losing it. Please tell me if these creatures are safe
or not although they are microscopic sized. Just to add. I have also
noticed those white roach type bugs that run around on the glass.
Thanks for all your help.
Adeel
Let me
know if you need a picture. Its very difficult as they are microscopic,
but I can try anything to save my tank. I am writing all the way from
Dubai and I love your website. Good work.
<Thank you for your kind,
encouraging words. Chances are that what you describe is not
problematical... But again, I would at least store all new water in the
dark for a few weeks before using. Bob Fenner>
Living things in the filter? Oh yes - 05/01/07
G'day Crew
<Kerryn>
I was cleaning (marine) canister filter and Crikey its
surfaces in side had jelly like sacks all over it with what looked like
inside was tiny shrimp, when I pressed on them they sprayed water out
like the sack had been pricked with a pin, there was also living shrimp
looking things inside the filter as well around 15 mill long, has been 8
months since I cleaned filter last ('bad girl')!
<Mmm, maybe not>
Have looked around the wet web site cant find anything close to what I
got...?
Not got a Scooby what they are, can you help with these
tricky little things.
Kerryn.
<Sponges and more! If all this
were in a more "desirable" setting, like a sump say... I'd have
encouraged you to not disturb it much... These sorts of cryptic
environments, biota, are actually very desirable... useful filters,
producers of foods... Bob Fenner>
Snail eggs 4/30/07
Hello Crew,
<Henry>
Please
excuse the rough drawing I hope it comes through. I found a shape
like this on the back wall of my tank. It was perfectly symmetrical
(unlike my crude drawing). It was about 1.5" in height and about
0.5" in width. It was a dark tan color. It had more protrusions
along the vertical plane about 8 of them on each side. (I did not
feel like trying to draw all of them) I thought at first it was some
kind of a worm so I got my net and went to scoop it out and to my
surprise it disintegrated into powder. Is there some critter in my
tank that might lay and egg pattern like this?
<Ah, yes>
The
tank has Nassarius snails, Margarita snails, Cerith snails, and
various hermit crabs.
To my knowledge no other mobile
invertebrates. Fish are 2 tank raised Percula clowns, 1 blue
Assessor and a High-Fin Goby. Mushroom, Zoanthids, Torch, Ricordea,
Gorgonia, and a small frag of Acropora. The tank is a 29 gallon
Oceanic Bio-Cube with 30lbs. of live rock, 20 lbs. of Aragonite
sand, a protein skimmer and 600 gallons per hour of flow. I am
running 144 Watts of 50/50 bulbs.
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0
Calcium 420
Alkalinity 3.5 - 4
Sg 1.025
Ph 8.2
Temp 79
Any guesses from the experts?
<These
are/were snail eggs... no worries. Bob Fenner>
Thank you,
Henry G. Mello | 
|
Mystery Blobs/Alga (And...What We Call English vs. What the English Call
English) – 04/16/07
I have attached a photo of one of the
strange blobs I’ve been trying to identify, this time one came to the
front of the tank so I could get a slightly better picture of it, it’s
sort of pinky beige in colour (please note I’m English and this is how
we spell colour, I was corrected last time).
<<I’m afraid I can’t
make anything of this blurry photo. And no worries re the spelling...
Though I’m not English, I did live in Ipswich for a few years and am
familiar with/recognize the spelling...as also with tyre (tire), litre
(liter), aluminium (aluminum), favourite (favorite), organisation
(organization), etc.>>
They also have tiny pimples all over and they
move around very slowly, they seem to look like a sphere with points;
they are quite difficult to describe!
<<Mmm, indeed...possibly a
crustacean or gastropod of some type...but is anybody’s guess at this
point. Any chance you can send an in-focus and close-up photo?>>
Also I have enclosed another picture of what looks like red velvet
textured coralline algae with red branching algae growing on it.
<<I
see...and still a bit out of focus. I also see what looks like possibly
hydroids or Majano anemones. Can be problematic...do read on our site
re these pests>>
I’m inclined to think its not algae though as it
sheds a thin layer off its surface every now and then.
<<Hmm, not
likely a calcareous alga then. I can’t really discern if this is a
blue-green alga (Cyanobacteria), or possibly a macrophyte (vascular
plant)...if the texture is slimy it is probably the former, if the
texture is rubbery it may be the latter>>
Also I have an electric
blue hermit (Calcinus elegans) which doesn't seem very active, how much
do they usually move around?
<<Usually always on the hunt for food>>
This one seems quite lethargic but will move occasionally and eats every
now and then (eats bubble algae too I noticed!)
<<A bonus!>>
All
my water parameters are excellent and I do regular water changes with
Instant Ocean and RO water (at least 5% twice a week and always make
sure the water is matched up correctly), there are plenty of shells for
it to choose from. My spg is at 1.022 and I’m going to increase this
very gradually to 1.024 as I believe crustaceans do better at a higher
spg.
<<Not just the crustaceans but everything will appreciate the
spg closer to NSW values (1.025/026)>>
Also I have quite a few small
(1cm) green Nudibranch or slug type creatures. They are bright green at
first then they become much darker when they grow a bit and have frills
on their backs.
<<Interesting>>
I can’t get a decent picture as
yet but I will try when I see one within shot again. Are they anything
to worry about as I quite like them they are comical to watch how they
move?
<<That depends on what they eat...many or obligate feeders of
specific organisms (often the very corals we wish to keep). Keep an eye
on them and see if you can determine what they are feeding upon. At
best they will be algae eaters...at worst they are munching on your
corals...but most likely they are incidental hitchhikers that will
disappear as mysteriously as they appeared>>
Thanks in advance and
sorry for the long email
Faye
<<Happy to assist. EricR>> |
Re: Mystery Blobs/Alga - 04/17/07
Hi, thanks for the quick
reply.
<<Quite welcome>>
The mystery red stuff feels hard,
definitely not slimy nor rubbery.
<<Hmm, perhaps it is a
calcareous growth of some kind after all>>
The orange things in
the picture with them aren’t anemones of any sort I’ve been told,
they are some sort of zoanthid.
<<Ah, ok...but can also be
problematic>>
They’ve been in there a while and aren’t causing
any problems, they are only 2mm wide and quite pretty.
<<Sounds
like no need for concern then>>
I’m afraid the blobs will have
to remain a mystery as I cannot get a decent photo of them as they
are too tiny.
<<Too bad>>
I don’t have any corals at the
moment so the slugs must be eating algae or something else as they
seem happy enough to reproduce.
<<Neat>>
I’ve also noticed
that my starry dragonet is very interested in the hermit and seems
to scare it into its shell a lot, maybe this is also a factor in its
inactivity.
<<Likely so>>
Thanks again, I’ll try to get
myself a decent camera with a macro setting for next time!
Faye
<<Or maybe just a friend with one! Regards, Eric Russell>> |  
|
White fungus? Not likely... 4/14/07
Hello,
<Hi Jared,
Mich here.>
I have a 75 gallon FOWLR and I have some white stuff
spreading over some of my rock.
<OK.>
It looks like fungus.
<A photo would be helpful. It is highly unlikely that it is a fungus,
perhaps a sponge, perhaps just some detritus build up on your LR,
difficult to say without a picture.>
If so what can I do to rid my
tank of this?
<I can't say, there is not enough
info. It is possible that this is a beneficial growth.>
Thanks,
<Welcome, Mich>
Jared
Local Reef club couldn't give me an ID, hope you guys can. ID
Question, need more details – 4/13/07
Hello,
<Hi Greg>
I posted pics at my local reef aquarium club and nobody was able to
id this mass. <Bring it on, I love a good challenge!> I picked out a
rock to frag some zoanthids and noticed this on the bottom of the
rock. I am assuming a pistol shrimp had tunneled under the rock. The
rock was sitting in the sandbed and I can't remember if it had space
under it for flow.
<Hmmm, that’s what I’d like to know too! My
first thought is that it’s a colonial tunicate/sea squirt colony of
some sort. It’s not unusual for them to be in protected areas or
overhangs, but underneath a rock like what you describe would seem
to be pushing it. However, I suppose it might be possible if there
was enough room under there and some degree of flow. What I’d like
to do is get just a little more information, such as how large the
mass actually is. It doesn’t have to be exact I’m just trying to get
an idea of scale. Also, are the tube-looking cells that make up the
mass gelatinous, soft, rubbery, or hard? Finally, if you notice
anything else, please let me know. Let’s see if we can figure this
thing out!>
Thanks for your time,
Greg...
<You’re very
welcome, Greg. I look forward to hearing back from you! –Lynn>
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n225/heysemo/100_0392.jpg
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Re: Tunicate Id - 5/5/07
<Hello again! Lynn here.>
You called it perfectly. <Yay! Thank you so much for letting us
know.> I placed the rock higher in the tank to a position
allowing me to see underneath the rock. It is a tunicate. It's
obvious to me now after seeing it fully expanded and such. <I
bet it’s beautiful too!>
Thanks for your opinion.. you guys
nailed it..
<I'm so glad we could help, Greg.> | .jpg) |
Creature ID 4/10/07
Hey Crew!
<Hey John>
Hope all is
well on your end.
<As well as can be.>
I am hoping you can help
me with an ID.
I will try to come up with a picture, but the
placement of these critters makes it difficult. I was rearranging my
live rock and noticed that on the back of a few pieces there are purple
circular shaped mounds with holes directly in the center. They seem to
vary in size with the largest being about the size of a dime. At first
I thought they were just some sort of anomaly on the rock, but then last
night when looking into the tank with a flashlight I noticed that there
is a cylindrical tube, also purplish but more translucent in color that
had come out of the hole in the center. Any idea? As I mentioned, I
will try to get a picture, but the placement makes it a little
difficult. Thanks so much for your assistance.
<Hard to ID without
a pic. Quite possibly an Adocia specie of sponge.
James (Salty
Dog)>
John
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