FAQs about Live Rock Hitchhiker/Creature
Identification
23
Related Articles: Live
Rock, Reef Systems, Refugiums,
Related FAQs: Live Rock, Answering
Some LR FAQs by James Fatherree, LR
Hitchhiker ID 1, LR Hitchhiker ID
2, LR Hitchhiker ID 3, LR Hitchhiker ID 4, LR Hitchhiker ID
5, LR ID
6, LR ID 7, LR ID 8, LR ID 9,
LR ID 10, LR
ID 11, LR ID 12, LR ID 13, LR ID
14, LR ID 15, LR ID 16, LR ID17,
LRID 18, LRID
19, LRID 20, LRID 21, LRID 22,
LRID 23,
LRID 24,
LRID 25,
LRID 26, LRID 27, LRID 28,
LRID 29,
LRID 30, LRID 31,
LRID 32, LRID 33,
LRID 34, LRID 35,
LRID 36, LRID 37,
LRID 38, &
Non-Vert IDs 1, Tubeworm ID, Polychaete Identification, Live Rock 1, LR 2,
LR 3, LR 4,
LR 5, Curing
Live Rock, Live Rock Selection,
Shipping/Moving, Placement, Lighting, Water Quality, Live Rock Studies in Fiji Collaboration
& Charts, Copper Use, Marine
Landscaping, Marine Biotope,
Sumps, Refugiums, Faux
Rock,
|
|
yellow transparent balls? -- 04/22/10
<Hello>
I have a 55 gallon salt aquarium and I am not understanding what
these growing things are. They are about the size of a dime in
diameter and seems to have a yellowish transparent layer for the
exterior part of it and I can see lots of tubes inside. I would
like to know if they are good or bad to have in the tank and
maybe find a purpose for them.
<I think these are sponges>
I did not remove them yet due to they may be some kind of good
living thing.
<They are indeed..a beneficial filter feeder>
I am kind of new to the saltwater tanks. Here is a picture to
help explain this matter.
<Have a read/ look here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sponges.htm>
Sorry best pictures I could take.
<No problem. Simon>
|
Full
size pix |
Something Growing on My Rock? Snail Egg Casings --
4/11/10
<Hello Bill, Lynn here today.>
I have a 90 gal salt tank 1 large lion-fish, 1 large eel (yellow
with black dots), 1 large black pointy sea urchin, 4 conch
snails,
<Do you know what variety/species?>
..many Mexican turbo snails, 1 brittle starfish, 1 chocolate
starfish, about 80lbs of rock, water tests good most of the
time.
<Need to aim for all of the time!>
I use a 1200 gph pump with overflow to sump containing miracle
mud and mangroves and a canister filter and turbo twist UV light
and a water chiller for temp with average 78 degrees. Can you
identify what these things are growing off my rock see
picture!
<Yep, they're snail egg casings, possibly left by a
Melongenid (Family Melongenidae), which includes species commonly
referred to as Conchs and Whelks. The casings you have are
definitely not from a Fighting Conch (Strombus alatus or Strombus
pugilis), or a Queen Conch (Lobatus/Strombus gigas), all of which
are in the Family Strombidae. Their egg masses resemble an
amorphous tangle of gelatinous string embedded with sand. Please
see the following links for examples:
Strombus alatus (aka the Florida Fighting Conch): http://www.jaxshells.org/1562anne.htm
Strombus pugilis (aka the West Indian Fighting Conch): http://www.jaxshells.org/1540anne.htm
Here's an example of a Melongenid's egg casings,
specifically Melongena corona (aka the Crown Conch). They're
a bit more rounded than the ones you have, but you can see the
similarity (and they do vary): http://www.jaxshells.org/mcegg3.htm
Here's another Melongenid example, the Channeled Whelk
(Busycotypus canaliculatus). Busycotypus/Busycon species'
casings are similar but usually have a bit more surface texture
(not as smooth): http://www.turtlejournal.com/?m=201002&paged=2
By the way, it looks like you have a nice little population of
beneficial Collonista snails, aka 'Mini-Turbos', roaming
the rocks! You can find more information on these at WWM. Just
enter Collonista in the Google search engine:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/Googlesearch.htm >
Thanks Bill V
<You're very welcome. Take care, Lynn Zurik>
|
|
Two ID's if you please 3/26/10
Hello to the crew,
Hope you are taking some time away from the monitors/keyboards to
enjoy some of the nicer weather! Two simple (I hope) questions
this day:
I was cleaning some hair algae (hate the stuff) from a small
specimen in my isolation tank and a 'critter' fell from
the underside. Considering the rock was not much bigger then a
Toonie (Canadian don'cha know), I wondered how it could
remain hidden. The roundish portion is harder as a shell would
be, but appears translucent. I have perused your snail ID pgs,
but have yet to see similar - would you know what it is? Also, do
I keep it... or cook it with garlic?
Second item: I purchased what was touted to be a red Galaxaura
rugosa macro algae from a not so local fish store, but the
coloration seems too dark - also, the growth does not seem to be
in rings but rather in 'sausage links'. The older, inner,
branches have what appear to be calcium showing - but only on the
thickest ones. Is it what I was told or another?
Thanks for the time you take to help all of us in the hobby.
Richard J.C.
Rich... did you intend to attach some images here? Really need
these to help you. Cheers, Bob Fenner
Two ID's if you please - sorry 'bout that
3/27/10
Ok, tell me off, I deserve it... coffee then read and send, I
remember now.
<Now having my cafe... for the first, see WWM re
"Scutus", the second is a Rhodophyte... maybe an
Amphiroa or Galaxaura sp.; see here re:
http://wetwebmedia.com/redalgae.htm
Here are the pics.
Richard J.C.
<BobF>
|
|
Help ID Please 3/12/10
Wet Media
<Dom>
I live in Florida and purchased live rock from a local live rock
farmer.
I have notice two different life form growing on the rock, they
are probably very common species. I have seen the coral on
various shell and rocks found along the shore. Thank you for your
help.
<Mmm, tis a Glass Anemone (Aiptasia sp.) and a Montastrea sp.,
a member of the stony coral family Faviidae. Bob Fenner>
Dominick Perrone Jr.
|
|
Unknown Pink Growth: Foraminiferan --
3/2/10
Hi all!
<Hey Debbie, Lynn here today!>
When I designed my acrylic 35 gallon SPS tank, I had a 10 gallon
refugium set up to be next to it as a display refugium. I used pond
foam to create a sort of dark cave for the Rusty goby and
peppermint shrimp that I put in there along with some rubble,
hitchhiker bivalves, sponges and the like. This section gets no
light except for ambient room light and you still need a flashlight
to see in it. I had sun corals in there, also, but moved them, as
you can see there's a baby that got left behind.
<Yep, I see it.>
Several months ago I noticed this pink growth around one of the
bivalves. It was so small I couldn't get a good picture to send
in for identification. About two weeks ago all the tips were
covered in a white spongy material and I thought some sponge had
managed to start growing on it. However, after a few days the
"white stuff" seemed to just disintegrate and the coral
appeared just fine. But now I've started noticing these
pink/red spots like the one under the word "New" that are
starting to grow. I've counted about 40 that I can see. A
couple are by the front and they have the same type of tentacles as
the main colony. They're about the size of a pinhead. The main
colony in the picture is only about 3/4 of an inch wide so it's
quite small.
<Looks like you've got a nice little Foraminiferan colony!
Forams are harmless, filter-feeding Protozoans that come in all
shapes and sizes. From the looks of things, you have a common,
stationary, branching variety called Homotrema rubrum. The pink
coloration and presence of fine filaments (aka rhizopodia -- used
for feeding) extending from the tips are distinctive.>
The tips have thin strand-like tentacles and I attached a close-up
picture of those as well.
<Nice photo showing the rhizopodia! One thing I see that may not
be a Foram is the small, darker object between the two light pink
Foram tips. The fact that it appears so shiny and smooth makes me
think it's an Ascidian/Tunicate, but it could just be a smaller
Foram. Color can vary with these. If you get a close look at it and
see rhizopodia, then it's definitely a Foram. Tunicates
don't have those.>
I'm unable to reach it, so I can't tell if it's spongy
or hard, although the tubes appear to be hard just by looking at
them.
<Yep, they're hard/stony-feeling.>
I'm hoping that by chance somebody may have come across
something like this and knows what this is.
<Oh yes indeed. I've had these in my tanks for years and
love 'em!>
I'm stoked that it spawned in my tank so I'll be
documenting their growth. Any information or insight would be
great.
<This link should be helpful:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-07/rs/index.php
Be sure to Google WWM also, as there have been several references
to these over the years:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/Googlesearch.htm >
Thanks!
<You're welcome!>
Debbie
<Take care, LynnZ> |
|
|
|