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FAQs about Non-Vertebrate Animal Identification 63

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 26, 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, Non-Vert ID 43, Non-Vert ID 44, Non-Vert ID 45, Non-Vert ID 46, Non-Vert ID 47, Non-Vert ID 48, Non-Vert ID 49, Non-Vert ID 50, Non-Vert ID 51, Non-Vert ID 52, Non-Vert ID 53, Non-Vert ID 54, Non-Vert ID 55, Non-Vert ID 56, Non-Vert ID 57, Non-Vert ID 58, Non-Vert ID 59, Non-Vert ID 60, Non-Vert ID 61, Non-Vert ID 62, Non-Vert ID 64, Non-Vert ID 65, & 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,


HH ID      2/2/16
Hi, I was hoping you could help me identify this hitchhiker. I bought a plug rock with some purple death Zoas and apparently this was along with it. It looks like a fat spotted worm of some sort and slowly inches along.
<? Where is this in your image?>

It has been in for about 3 days and I noticed what appeared to be a tuxedo urchin on the rock. The supposed tuxedo urchin I cannot find and this little guy showed up this morning.
Thanks in advance,
-Mike Lyons
<The greyish "space ship" shaped thing here? Either a colonial Ascidian or sponge. Bob Fenner>

Re: HH ID         2/3/16
Thanks for the reply. I've attached another pic that's not zoomed in. The animal in question is sitting directly on top of the crushed coral and has a gray body color with some large black spots and some smaller yellowish/brown spots.
<Yes! This is what I thought... again, likely a Sea Squirt if not moving; a Cuke/Holothuroidean if moving... See WWM re... evidence of good conditions here>
Behind it and to the left is one of my snails. It looks similar to a small sea cucumber if I had to make a guess at what it
could be.
​<If motile... does it show feeding apparatus at the present left end? BobF>

cropped, spiffed

ID please       1/14/16
Hello WWM. You're awesome. : )
<Hey Carmen!>
This nickel sized shell-less snail looking guy was cruising around on the bottom of a holding plastic tub of Tampa bay Saltwater live rock. He is transparent, beige/white in color. I can see a dark mass inside of him. He has suction and a snout. He's cute. If he doesn't eat corals for fun I'd like to keep him. He's in a party red cup while on trial.
<I see>
Where will I be able to see your reply?
<Mmm.... here and on WWM's dailies; parsed...>
Verdict?
<Well; I can't make out much detail... in trying to optimize your pic... to discern whether this is actually a mollusc or a worm. I'd likely remove this animal>
Thank you.
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Jelly like substance.       1/11/16
Hello again! (Happy vacation Bob!)
<Thanks Kittie; just back from the restaurant here in Key Largo>
I am hoping that perhaps one of you other knowledgeable crew members might know what this is and if I did right by removing this.
<Yes; a reproductive event. Not a problem>
This has happened twice in 1 - 1 1/2 months. The first time I noticed, in my saltwater tank. this jelly like blob very close to what I believed was a spaghetti worm cone,
<Yes>
I left it alone thinking egg sack but then several minnows got ensnared and started to decompose. I removed that and today I noticed this on basically in the same spot. I do have spaghetti and feather duster worms, which I enjoy watching. Is this a sign of stress or hopefully happiness of the worms?
<More likely they are "happy">
Should I be worried?
<Mmm; no>
I have looked online and have been unable to find a match to the attached photos. Any knowledge you have would be appreciated!
Sincerely,
Kittie
<This, these are Polychaete worm reproductive materials. I'd just net out and remove. Bob Fenner>

hitchhiker identification?     1/5/16
Hello Wet Web Media
I would appreciate some help in identifying this hitchhiker on the base of a small golden torch
These photos were taken about a month apart. The first one is the most recent.
[image: Inline image 1]a s
Thanks!
Kelly Crowe
<Appears to be a Prosobranch Gastropod (snail) of some sort.... the Serpulid (poss.) snails having settled on its translucent shell... I would remove these and their egg casings if you find them; for general purpose.
Bob Fenner>

Found this on the beach       12/20/15
Hey crew, I found the shell on a beach (Port Elizabeth, South Africa) I believe it to be an isopod, just need to know. Never saw something like it before
<Nope, not an isopod crustacean but in fact a Chiton, a mollusc and a member of the class Polyplacophora. Fascinating creatures from an evolutionary line quite distinct from the "higher" molluscs (gastropods, bivalves, scaphopods and cephalopods) and retaining many primitive features, not least of which is the segmented shell. They are actually very common and widespread, but because they are nocturnal in habit and tend to avoid light they are not always obvious. Turn over rocks and seaweed to find them. Cheers, Neale.>

Mysterious Life Form /Earl    12/12/15
<Movie HERE:>
Hello Crew!
<Oh wow! I have never seen these but they are amazing, they swim like little cephalopods. Bob?? -Earl>
Mysterious Life Form /RMF

Hello Crew!
<Bob>
I look to you guys as the best and so I hope that you can help me solve my little mystery.
<Ok>
I have attached a short video of an invasive life form. At first glance, it would appear to be some sort of Aiptasia because they are fairly translucent, but that’s about the only resemblance. I have no idea what it could be. I’m hoping you know what it is and what I can do to get rid of it.
<At first I thought this too was some species of free-living (and swimming) Actinarian/Anemone; some sort of weird strobilized Medusoid scyphozoan?... but the taper of its "legs"/appendages, appearance of some sort of bulbous head-appearing part of the body in its apparent center, motion from this point... are reminiscent of a Cephalopod.... am guessing this is an octopus, squid.... >
This growth does not shrink away from the touch. It does not hide. It does not appear to attack the corals, or fish. The corals continue to grow.
It does proliferate quickly. It has spread throughout my tank and into my refugium.
My fish and corals are growing happily. But these little “things” are irritating to me in that they are everywhere: on the glass, on the sand, on the rocks, on the snails, the jet pumps, the thermometer, etc. You get the idea. You’ll see in the video that it actually has a swimming motion. Its arms move. But, once it find a place to land. It pretty much remains there. The fish will not eat them.
<Oh, this IS an important clue. As far as I'm aware, all cephalopod young are palatable to fishes>
They measure approximately 1/2 centimeter. I have been to 2 LFS stores in hopes of getting some idea to eradicate them from the aquarium. But, no one seems to know what they are. One store suggested a File Fish might work.
<Mmm; may be>
Background: I always quarantine everything before putting it into the tank. Somehow this sneaked in. I do not know how. It obviously slipped in on something.
<Yes; something "hard", like live rock or a bit of same that a stony coral or such was attached to. The thing is, the eggs of cephalopods are quite large; likely you'd have seen them>
I’m wondering if it could have made it’s way in during a water change. Regardless, the tank is a 55 gallon tank. There is a 20 gallon refugium. Parameters are acceptable. Nitrates are high, but working to lower them. None of my fish have ever been in ill-health. I have never had the dreaded Ich. I have been a reefer for 8 years, but do not consider myself an expert. The Fish inhabitants include: a Powder Brown Tang, Yellow Tang, Yellow-Tail Damsel, 2 False Percula Clown Fish, a Banggai Cardinal, a Watchman Goby and Pistol Shrimp. Also, various snails and crabs.
What can I do to rid my tank of these little pests?
<I think/fear just netting them out...>
Thank you,
-Bob
<Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>

Sand Critter ID       10/16/15
Hello Crew,
Please help me identify the critter centered in the top half of the pictures.
<....?>
About two weeks ago I noticed this thing in my sand. From tentacle(?) to tentacle it is about the size of a dime. It looks like spider legs coming out of a hiding hole. Or it looks like that creature in Star Wars that they try to throw Han Solo into it.
<Heeeee! "Go w/ the force Luke">
Half the tentacles look white and the others brownish. The center looks black, and is below the surface level. I can't tell how far it goes down. So, it looks like a little hole with tentacles sticking out that lay flat on the sand and I never see it move.
What is it???
Much Thanks.
<Likely an anemone or worm of some sort. See WWM and send along a better resolved pic when you can. Bob Fenner>

crop

Re: Sand Critter ID       10/16/15
Thanks for taking the time. I took these new pictures this morning while the tank was still dark. They are not good pictures with that lighting, but you can see it now extended above the surface. When I first shined the light it was elevated slightly more than that. Can you tell anymore from these pictures?
<Same answer. Still too poorly resolved. B>
I can't seem to find it on your site.
<Try a different camera, lens?>
Thanks,
Nick

  crop...

Re: Sand Critter ID       10/20/15
Bob,
One last attempt at a pic.
<Still no good>
When I tried to scoop it out with a net, it quickly disappeared into the sand.
<Oh; a good clue; still same guesses; but more likely a type of Anemone... a Cerianthid....?
>
I scooped out about 2" of sand and it apparently had retracted deeper than that. It was very fast. It is back now. It is too fast for me to get it with a net, so I need to find some kind of cup or scoop that I can move quickly into the sand. I'm going to try to feed it tonight to see what it's reaction is, which might help with identification.
Sorry to waste your time with bad photos. Hoping this is sufficient.
Nick
<Cheers, Bob Fenner>

crop

Strange growth?       10/11/15
Hello there. Just want to firstly thank you for the wealth of information you share here. You are my number one spot to research everything. Now, for my question. I have a 55 gallon salt water tank that has a cluster of mussels (no longer living) which I collected from the ocean (Atlantic coast southeast Florida).
<Ahh!>
There is a very strange, but beautiful growth spreading slowly on it and I'm not even sure what to search to try and identify it. Could you help?
<Yes; this is a colonial Ascidian... the "Flat Tunicate", Botrylloides nigrum >
The picture is taken close up, the grow is about the size of a dime currently. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
<Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Strange growth?      10/12/15
Thank you so much!
<Ah welcome. Thank you for sharing. BobF>

Hitchhiker IDs        8/15/15
Hello.
<Sarah>
I am needing an identification on two hitch-hikers that have made their way into my tank.
The anemone? looking thing appears to be multiplying.
There is a smaller one beside it now. I am wondering if this IS an anemone or some other type of coral that resembles an anemone?
<Mmm; yes; appears to be a Pseudocorynactis... a Corallimorpharian.... can be trouble... stinging other life. Most folks treat as a pest and remove them. See WWM Re>
It is clear with white bulbs on the ends of its fingers with a green inner “core”. Its “mouth” area is different than any anemone I’ve ever seen. Can you help with an ID for it? I’m most interested if it will harm my seahorses. This is in a hippocampus erectus tank.
<Will eat your Horses in time>
The second thing is (only one picture) is pink and has pores like there will be polyps that will come out of it. It is soft but has an underlying structure.
<Mmmm>
This has only been in my tank 24 hours now. I am wondering if this is some sort of toadstool? It goes down to a V shape that I glued to a small rock then buried it in the sand.
<Is this... a Renilla?>
Thanks,
Sarah
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

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