ID Needed please..it spawned

reeferkeeper · 05-26-2002, 10:02 PM

I should probably know what this is. I have never seen it in my reef before today. I havent added anything to my tanki in 1 year or so. I assume that it isnt bad, since I havent had to many problems. I saw it out on the rocks about an hour ago. I thought at first it might be a baby sea cucumber, but then I noticed that it has a hard fleshy "shell" and a foot. Anyway, I wasnt sure if it was good or bad so I captured it to take pics to post. I put it in a baby "guppy" breeder that I had and after a few minutes it statrted to spawn. It raise one end up in the air and curled the end like a person curls his tongue, then it started to release thousands of small white things. I cant believe that it could possibly have that much inside. It os about 1 1/2 inches long. It is still spawning as I write this. I need to know what it is and whether it is good or bad. If good, I will release it and let the spawn out with it, Any ideas??? Thanks.

cyberchef · 05-26-2002, 10:26 PM

Unfortunately the pic is not very clear. But from the description it sounds like a Stomatella Veri snail. Is it dark brown to black in color with the fleashy part being a lighter tan to brown? Moves pretty quickly?

reeferkeeper · 05-26-2002, 10:48 PM

Thanks Cyber chef, No, It is almost white. I think I know(kinda) what it is. when I went to get it, I had to gently force it off the rock. It balled up and I wasnt able to see its underside. After seeing it, I think it is something that lives in the sand bed. It looks like the critters I see that are stuck to the glass underneath the surface of the sand. I dont know what the name is. Anyway, I decided to release it and the eggs. By the time it was done spawning, it was sitting in a pile about 1/2 inch deep and about the size of a nickle...maybe bigger. I released the eggs too, there are so many that they are all over the tank. I thought my digital camera had a macro feature, but If it does...I couldnt find it or the book for it....tahts my luck when I need something. Thank you very much for trying to help!

FishDaddy · 05-26-2002, 11:13 PM

The picture and especially the behaviour (balling up) suggests a Chiton to me but most of them are more ovoid in shape.
Dick

reeferkeeper · 05-26-2002, 11:38 PM

BINGO! Thanks Fishdaddy! I did some research and saw a number a pictures of chitons and even though I didnt see any pics that were the same color as the one I had, the information and description is exactly the same. Mine was spawning at the time of the picture and was almost outstretched with one end up releasing the "spawn" ...so it doesnt look the same shape, but if I took a pic now, I think you would agree. I read up on the breeding and the description was the same as what happened. I thought that the spawn was odd shaped, turns out they are called trocho.

Very interesting, I didnt read if they were good or bad, but I assume they are just a good sign of the diversity in my sand bed. Thanks again, mystery solved!

P.S. I have wanted a microscope since I started my reef...I bet the number of microscopic life in the reef is as interesting as the reef itself! Then I could have really looked at the trocho!

reeferkeeper · 05-26-2002, 11:49 PM

Sorry, 1 more thing I wanted to add. I posted this exact same question on 3 BB. This is the only BB that ANYONE answered and not only did I get responces here, but I got THE ANSWER! Good job and I think that says something about the members here!
Thanks again!

Mike

tdwyatt · 05-27-2002, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by reeferkeeper
This is the only BB that ANYONE answered and not only did I get responces here, but I got THE ANSWER! Good job and I think that says something about the members here!

Heh!!! That says something about Dick!

hooked · 05-27-2002, 09:35 AM

Keep an eye out on Dick, he stays on top of things

FishDaddy · 05-27-2002, 10:06 AM

Awwww.......thanks, guys. Just glad to help.
Dick