LR HH ID 29

FAQs about Live Rock Hitchhiker/Creature Identification 29

Related Articles: Live Rock, Reef Systems, Refugiums,

Any idea 3/19/18
Any idea on what this might be. It's on a piece of live rock I have. I saw the first signs of life out of it yesterday and I have had the tank setup for roughly 5 months now. Thanks
<Arca; a bivalve. No worries. Bob Fenner>

Aiptasia Anemone 1/11/12
Hello good folks at WWM,
<BryanC>
I was re-scaping my live rock last night and discovered this on one of my pieces. I have no idea what this is and I have searched throughout your site and Google to no avail. I'm not even sure of how to describe it. I thought maybe it was a polyp but my search results ruled it out. Hopefully the picture is clear enough. It has a ring-like shape that is white in color with a transparent center and it has "hairs" or "tentacles" sticking out from it.
<It appears to be an Aiptasia Anemone Read here
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/daily_faqs3.htm?h=Aiptasia+anemone>
I haven't seen it move at all. It might be dead.
<Not enough information for me to answer but these are tough lil' buggers and they can become a nuisance/predator if unchecked>
Thanks in advance,
Chris
<Welcome in arrears Chris, BryanC>

?/RMF

Re: Aiptasia Anemone 1/11/12
> Hello good folks at WWM,
> <BryanC>
> I was re-scaping my live rock last night and discovered this on one of my
> pieces. I have no idea what this is and I have searched throughout your
> site and Google to no avail. I'm not even sure of how to describe it. I
> thought maybe it was a polyp but my search results ruled it out. Hopefully
> the picture is clear enough. It has a ring-like shape that is white in
> color with a transparent center and it has "hairs" or "tentacles" sticking
> out from it.
> <It appears to be an Aiptasia Anemone Read here
> http://www.wetwebmedia.com/daily_faqs3.htm?h=Aiptasia+anemone>
> I haven't seen it move at all. It might be dead.
> <Not enough information for me to answer but these are tough lil' buggers
> and they can become a nuisance/predator if unchecked>
> Thanks in advance,
> Chris
> <Welcome in arrears Chris, BryanC>
> I was looking on the web at pics of Aiptasia Anemones and what I have on
> my live rock looks different. Upon closer examination i found that it was
> connected to a similar shaped ring that was flat on the live rock. So all
> together it looks like a bi-valve. From what I saw on-line regarding
> Aiptasia Anemone, they normally are attached to the live rock by tubes.
> Mine doesn't have that.
><Maybe a more clear picture will help, BryanC>

Please help me ID this. 1/11/12
I found this moving on my live rock this morning. It is "ball" shaped and looked almost spongy. It is yellowish in color with a red spot on the back end. It had a tail which was translucent/white like a snail and it had two antennae/tentacles. It moved like a snail or a slug would and was actually pretty quick. It's actual shape had me thinking it was sponge, but I have no clue. I hope it's nothing bad, it was actually pretty cool to watch.
Thanks,
Chris
<... this and the last, grey tiny pic/organism you sent are very like both Sponges. Poriferans. See WWM re. Bob Fenner>
Re: Please help me ID this. 1/11/12
Thanks so much. So for the ball shaped one, since it's moving does this mean it is still in the larvae stage? Would you say that these are good things to keep in my nano reef?
<Mmm, send along a better-resolved image please. BobF>

Re: Please help me ID this. 1/11/12
I will take a better one when I get home from work. Thanks again.
<Thank you, B>

please help me identify this.... 11/30/11
<Poor English and eight megs of pix... Ridiculous. Did you read where you found how to write us?>
i was trying to figure out what this is growing on the back and side of my rock in certain area's....the bottom base of it is purple than it's a orange looking dot in the center of them...i attached a picture, i tried to get as close as i could to it to catch the picture...
<Your images are too poorly resolved to see much... these look likely to be sponges/poriferans of some sort. Bob Fenner>

Re: re: please help me identify this.... 11/30/11
when i touched them they are soft and bouncy.
<Still many possibilities... B>

identification... Under rock... 11/29/11
Hey guy and gals, I am sorry for not having a picture but I have not been able to take one that is clear and shows this good enough. There is a clear film (or hairlike) growth on the bottom side of my live rock. I am hoping it is common enough for you to identify. If I scrape it with a brush it comes off. It is not where the light can hit it, only on the bottom side of the rock. Any ideas?
--
Kristy
<... an algae? Sponge, slime mold... accumulated debris? BobF>

Strange Growth/Algae ID 11/9/11
Hi
<Hello Darren>
I have a marine tank of 44 Gallons and have a strange thing growing and wondered whether you can identify it.
<Appears to be Neomeris annulata, a green algae.>
Many thanks
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Darren Coughlan

Re Strange Growth/Algae ID, Neomeris 11/9/11
Thanks for the quick response.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Darren

Strange growth on fossil in tank 11/6/11
Hello,
I have looked everywhere and I can not identify this growth on an old skeleton in my tank. Can you help me identify this please? It was growing in the dark at the bottom of a stack of rocks in my tank. I noticed it
today as I was rearranging the rock for more caves. It is hard and does not move if I move the rock Thank you in advance for you time!
Hope all is well,
Jodi L. Sardina
<Thank you; yes. These are very likely snail eggs... Do look up for the species you have here on the Net. Bob Fenner>

Fans? SW... 11/1/11
I have had my salt aquarium running for over 7 years. I noticed these little tubes growing lately. they don't have fans in the tips. Any idea what they might be? Good or bad?
<... Image please. Likely what you have here are some sort of tubeworm;
though could be one of many other possibilities. See here: http://wetwebmedia.com/feathwmidf2.htm
and the linked FAQs files in the series (above). Bob Fenner>
Oh! I do see your pic attached... This appears to be some sort of algae...
but might again be summat else... BobF

hitchhiker id -- 10/07/11
Hi all,
<Gabe>
I haven't thanked you enough for all of your assistance, this website has been a great help to me in many ways! Not the least of which, entertainment!
<Oh yes... Intended to not be just dry information presentation, but fun as well... For all!>
Anyway, I was wondering if you would be able to ID what I have circled in yellow. It arrived as a hitchhiker, and I was wondering what it was, and if it presents any issue. Please and thanks as always!
Gabe
<Mmm, interesting... Can't quite make out what this might be, even enlarging... Looks to be a composite of organisms... Perhaps a sponge, w/ Foraminiferans (the roundish bits) on it... but could be otherwise,
additional life forms. Not likely harmful. T'were it me/mine, I'd leave it in place. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Net fishing animal... 7/8/11
Hello,
<Simon>
I Googled the web, scan your site and could not find an answer to my interrogation.
<Ok>
I recently bought a fragment of sps coral and glued it to my live rock.
Yesterday I noticed a brown animal that grew at the base of it. It seems to be some kind of worm and I can't identify it. It has a very special way of feeding. For a few days, I noticed tiny filaments, like some kind of spider web in that area. I finally realized it is generated by that animal. It kind of throws a net of very fine threads that stick to the surrounding live rock. It takes a few minutes to complete the work. Then it stands still. Tiny bits of particles suspended in the water column stick to the net. After a few minutes wait, the animal pulls back it's net, apparently swallowing it with it's catches. And then the cycle goes on again and again.
I took a picture of it. It is the brown shape in the middle of the picture.
It is partially hidden by a part of the coral base. It is also it it's shadow, which didn't help the picture... The thing is about a centimeter long, and doesn't move or contract.
What is it? Any danger with it? I hope not, because it is fascinating to watch!
<Is likely a species of "spaghetti worm"... A member of the Polychaeta, perhaps the family Terebellidae. Not harmful>
Thanks for your help!
Simon
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Re-sized images to identify 5/29/11
Hi Neal,
<Will send to him>
Thanks for your help! I found a site to re-size the pictures! They are attached.
Thanks,
Damon
<These are all remnants/types of sponge... Poriferans. Bob Fenner>

re: Re-sized images to identify 5/29/11
Thank you for identifying! That was very helpful!
<Certainly welcome. Their growth is a good indication of healthful conditions in your system... Much more re on WWM. BobF>

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