What the heck is this?

[ScooterPie]

Can someone help me identify this? I am mainly concerned about the tentacles poking out of the rock, but if someone can help me figure out what the "slime" type stuff is, that would be great too! It was on there when I bought the mushroom rock, just didn't see it until I bought it home and the shrooms retracted at night.

As for thing poking out of the hole in the rock, I seem to have a few of them. I was thinking about trying to grab one and pull it out just to see what it is, but I don't want to hurt it.

Thanks!

[IMG][/IMG]

[scubadude]

I couldnt see the image...but I traced your source and I think I found it...is this it?



If so then dont worry too much about the tentacles....looks like some type of mini brittle star...good detrivores for your tank and the algae looks like a mix possible between some hair algae? and cyano? you can try and siphon most of that out with a turkey baster and maybe add a green mithrax crab or lawnmower bleeny which may help in the green hair algae. HTH

[ScooterPie]

Yep, that was the image. You think more hermit crabe would help? I am about at my limit for fish in the tank.

Thanks!

[FishKid]

hermits would be ok, but in from trial and error, the concensus is that they are more harmful than helpful, some will eat coralline... I would definatly go with the lawnmower blenny, he will rid your tank of the algae in no time at all, plus they are the absolute coolest fish! If you really are at your limit, you could always buy the blenny, and take him back when he is no longer needed. (you'll probably grow very attached to him though )

mark

[eses]

Looks like a rock from my local Petco.

I have those same worms in my tank, I am pretty sure they are worms anyway. I've checked them out well with magnifying glass and I am almost totally sure it is a worm of some kind. I've tried grabbing them with tweezers, and the "tentacle" breaks where you are pulling before anything comes out. I couldn't grasp it with my finger.

All of the rocks with mushroom anemones I've bought have had these worms. I also have holes that have those worms, and also those fiber-optic looking ones coming out around the 'tenticles'.

Whatever they are, they won't bother the coral or anything else, and will occassional catch food you put in the tank. Mine will sometimes snag a brine shrimp and draw it in.

Also, if your thinking of getting a lawnmower blennie, get the smallest you can find. The larger they are the harder they are too feed. Many will only eat vegtable matter, and they need alot of it. Just had to get rid of one from my 29G. I had to feed it too constantly and it was polluting the tank.

[ScooterPie]

I thought when I bought my ladder glider (sand sifter) that he would also help eat the algae. All he ever does though is sift through the substrate and he occasionally picks at the back glass. Will I have to feed him, or will the hair algae be sufficient? I have a LOT of it.

[FishKid]

if all the algae is gone, he'll eat scrap food...

[saltjunkie]

nope, those are mini brittle stars...

[ScooterPie]

Thanks for all the responses. So will they get any bigger?

[snoopdog]

These tentacles can be deceiving. I thought they were brittle stars too. I have a couple of sets of these in my tank and they have never moved. Brittle star tend to move through the tank. These always appear to be coming from within the rock. In a year, they are still in the same spot of my tank. And only 2-3 tentacles.

[eses]

If those are mini brittle stars, how come they never come out? Some of mine only have a few tentacles coming out, some have 6-7. If you shine a light down into the hole and look with a magnifying glass you cannot see a body.

Now I need to find out. Time to dissect the rock. The coloration looks like it could very well be a brittle star, as do the tentacles (or legs) themselves..but why no increase in size or movement over the course of a year or more?

[asmith]

I have one of the worms in my reef as well. It never moves from its location. It looks very similar to the ones in the picture. Its tentacles kind of telescope out when it moves into view. I have not been able to get any good pictures of it because it lives in a cave in my rock work. It has caused no harm.

Andrew

[kevinpo]

I believe it is a barnacle of the family Pyrgomatidae. What you see are actualy its legs sticking out.

Kevin

[kevinpo]

PS:They don't get any bigger and are harmless. They usually disapear (die) shortly as they are difficult to feed.

Kevin

[organicreefer]

i have them in my tank,they do move ,but can stay in a very small area for a long time ime

[scubadude]

Im 99.9% sure now that it is a Mini Brittle star....I even posted the pic at Dr. Rons forum and he agreed it was a Mini Brittle star. How can you question him when his specialitie is sandbed critters and he has a PHD in Marine Biology...here is the link for reassurance

http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin...627#post290627

[FishKid]

I have one that looks exactly like that, and he/she is a little more than 2 inches in diameter, so im guessing mine isnt a mini brittle, but a tiger serpent star...

mark

[organicreefer]

thats why they seem to stay in one place forever,learning all the time.
fishkid,i think that is about their max size.

[saltjunkie]

mine has grown considerable? it is still in the same rock/coral (brain) as when i got it, his legs come out at night to feed i suppose, but they have doubled in size since first i noticed them...?

[Reinhold]

When I started my tank, I put 5 tiny brittle stars in the rock as part of a detrivore kit. I probably have 50-75 in the rocks now. Like most stars, they live in one spot and venture out at night.

I also purchased a 4" Brittle Star (Serpent Star??) and it lives under a rock from which it moves only after the lights go out. It is now about 12-14" across and the central disk is about 1 1/2" wide.