Feather duster/barnacle?

[Jesstheveg]

So, I first noticed an itty bitty hitchhiker on my LR a few days ago and assumed it was some sort of mini feather duster because that's exactly what it looked like. After looking around the net, however, I'm thinking it could possibly be a barnacle.

I tried to take pictures, but it's so small that the feathery part doesn't even come out, so I'll just describe. The tube for the thing seems to have grown and progressed up the side of the rock. There's a trail of it winding all over the side of the rock, covered in purple and seemingly unused. The part at the very top where it comes out, probably 1/2", is white. The actual crown/feathery part is probably 1/8" (if even) and seems to be translucent with, perhaps, a bit of pale pink.

Whatever it is, it's incredibly responsive. If you accidentally knock the glass with a finger, it immediately flies back into its tube. It seems to like decent flow and light.

It really makes more sense to me that it's a barnacle, but I had assumed these hosted in corals. Any insight? I can add the picture if needed - you can't really make out the feathery part, but you can see the weird tubing.

[YeeHawReefer]

Sounds like a hard tubed feather duster, I have many of them. This isnt my picture, but does it look like this white tube on this clam shell?


Live Barnacles little filters look like this:



So I am gonna vote Feather duster or "Tube worm" based solely on your description.

[Jesstheveg]

Ok, definitely looks like the hard tubed feather duster on that clam. Thanks! Do they get any bigger or stay relatively tiny?

[YeeHawReefer]

Those particular ones usually stay pretty small. But when it comes to feather dusters there are many many different species of them, all with different colors, tube types, shapes and sizes. Good luck!

[Loverotties]

Sounds like duster clusters.

[Jesstheveg]

Thanks guys

It's just exciting to have movement in the tank, no matter how small lol.

[YeeHawReefer]

Originally Posted by Jesstheveg

Thanks guys

It's just exciting to have movement in the tank, no matter how small lol.

Your welcome.

And yes, I remember my very first S/W, after the lights go out I turn on the flash light and see all these different things moving and crawling on the rock.

Even now, every now and then I flip on the flash light and go exploring when the sun goes down in the reef.....Its always different.

[Loverotties]

Originally Posted by YeeHawReefer

Your welcome.

And yes, I remember my very first S/W, after the lights go out I turn on the flash light and see all these different things moving and crawling on the rock.

Even now, every now and then I flip on the flash light and go exploring when the sun goes down in the reef.....Its always different.

Put a red lens on your flashlight.They can't see red so you won't stress them out.It's like having night vison(you can see them ,but they can't see you).

[YeeHawReefer]

I have been meaning to do that!!!! I remember the bristleworms used to always take off when the light hit them.....