Identity Unknown

tapsmith · 12-27-2003, 09:25 PM

Everyone here is just SO INCREDIBLY helpful that I thought I would ask if any of you knew what this is. This was found at our LFS, it normally hides amongst the star polyps, but can move, and actually has been found to a one couple times a day. We also bought some polyps from there and found one in amonst ours as well. Our LFS doesn't know what it is, of course that doesn't surprise me. Anyway, any one happen to know what it is??
It's the thing in the middle of the picture by the way.

cyberchef · 12-27-2003, 10:57 PM

Looks like some sort of nudibranch. Watch the polyps closely to see if they look like they are being eaten. If so, remove this guy emediatly and do it carefully. If it does eat polyps, you don't want to squish this thing with your hands/fingers as it could be very toxic to you (one guy squished one with his fingers and ended up in the ER). The ones that eat polyps are immune to the polyps toxins and it's like they absorb it and then concentrate it.

tapsmith · 12-27-2003, 11:02 PM

A nudibranch?? Really.. It doesn't move that much. The one on our rock only moves no more than 2 inches from it orginial spot. Today I haven't seen it move at all. I've looked and looked online and still can't figure out what it is.
BTW, thanks for replying.

JennM · 12-27-2003, 11:19 PM

I don't know what it is either, but I had one. I removed it. It looks rather like an amenone, but does not feel like one - it's rather tough, rubbery even. I'd be curious to know what it is too, because I was stumped. I couldn't find out what it was either, so I erred on the side of caution and got rid of it.

Jenn

cyberchef · 12-27-2003, 11:25 PM

Is it "disc" shaped and does it have a "mouth" in the center of the disc (flat top side of creature)? If not then I doubt it's an anenome. From your orignal post I gathered that the thing could move around but from your last post it sounds more like it does not move much at all. It could very well be some sort of anenome, especially if it basically stays in one place. Possibly a small LTA or condy...

tapsmith · 12-27-2003, 11:26 PM

Hey thank Jenn, thats what I thought as well. Even the LFS people and a few local reefers haven't a clue either. Here is another pic, you can see the little one right in the middle of the star polyps, and the big one in the bottom right. It's a mystery that may never be solved.

cyberchef · 12-27-2003, 11:29 PM

Does it completely retract, like into a hole in the LR? What does it do if you use something to touch it? How small does it get when not extended? Also do you know where the corals/LR came from that it was on when you bought it?

tapsmith · 12-27-2003, 11:48 PM

Cyber,
it doesn't retract into any hole. You can actually move the "tenticles" around with your finger, but nothing happens. It doesn't really change shape or size. If anything, I might actually inflate alittle by touching and messing with it. I honestly don't remember where the rock came from. They called it a rainbow rock. It honestly looks like a rock that they superglued a bunch of different things to. Here's a pic of what the whole rock looks like.

JennM · 12-28-2003, 07:35 AM

Yep a rainbow rock is a bunch of bits and pieces slapped together

You got a really pretty one though

Yes it looks rather like an anemone, but the best description I can give to the tentacles is that they are like stiff rubber - the animal can change their shape/stance, but if you touch them, they don't retract, sting (I didn't feel a sting) or bend like any other anemone. Anemones are soft and jelly-like - these are stiff and nearly wiry in the way they (don't) react, but they feel rubbery. The animal can move from place to place but seems to like being in a forest of polyps, mine was in star polyps too if I remember correctly - it was a long while ago, and I've only seen/had the one. I watched it for a few days, and took it out because I couldn't ID it, and just had a bad feeling that it couldn't be good.

Jenn

Mafiaman · 12-28-2003, 08:01 AM

Try looking into the Phyllodesmium sea slugs. They are very BAD guys! Get it out! Specificly P.briareum.
If you have the Julian Sprung book "Invertebrates, A quick reference guide" look on page 94

Mafiaman · 12-28-2003, 08:12 AM

Here it is look at top left picture and I think this is it.

Mafiaman · 12-28-2003, 08:13 AM

Man I'm Good!

JennM · 12-28-2003, 08:44 AM

Yeah that looks like it could be it. Glad I got rit of the little booger.

Jenn

tapsmith · 12-28-2003, 12:09 PM

If it truly was a type of sea slug.. wouldn't it move?? Wouldn't it be causing damage. Trust me. This thing has been on this rock, in this general area for 6 weeks. The only time its moved is when the polyps over crowd it, so it will move just a bit, no more than one inch. In fact we've only see it move twice. Every morning its in the same place as when we turned the lights out. Not only that, but I have to honestly say, I've tried moving it a bit with my finger yesterday. After all the suggestions of it being a sea slug I figured I had better go investigate. But nothing happend. It didn't move, squirm, retract. Nothing on my rock has been eaten, damaged or anything.
And Jenn is completely correct when she says it feels rubbery, stiff. At our LFS, one of the guys ended up messing with the one there as well and a little arm/tenticle fell off. So he pulled it out. Its hard to describe exactly what it felt like besides rubbery.
Thanks everyone for helping to ID this thing though.

512148048 · 12-28-2003, 12:14 PM

it could be a filter feeder that uses the star polyp look to confuse preditors but it could be an evie entity that is here destroy ur tank to but i doubt it