Cuke ID F6

FAQs about Sea Cucumber Identification 6

Related Articles: Sea Cucumber, Marine Scavengers, Sand Sifters

Don't think this is a medusa worm? 9/2/18
I have dry rock 2 inch sand bed tank is 4 months old 160 gal. 30 gal fuge skimmer 10 gal Chaeto tumbler. I suddenly have these worms. I'm sure it was a hitch hike off Chaeto. No one can tell me good or bad (. Please help before I have hundreds of them.
<Does look like one. In which case, is more related to sea cucumbers than to sea worms; these are generally peaceful scavengers, I wouldn´t worry as they pose no threat to aquarium inhabitants.>
Thanks in advance. Oh and what fish might
eat them? Copper banded butterfly maybe?
<If your tank is a fish only, you can try a Trigger fish, however If you have a mixed invertebrate/reef tank, try using a trap with some bait like fresh shrimp at night. My suggestion is to do this only if you see that they start to multiply or if you don´t want them at all in your tank >
<Wilberth>

Re: Don't think this is a medusa worm? 9/2/18
Thanks! Very much. Happy reefing
<You´re very welcome, nice weekend. Wilberth>

Id of worm/potential young sea cucumber 6/13/18
Hi,
Got a frag of sps of a fellow reefer and found a couple of worm like creatures that are very small on the bottom.
The guy i got the frags from has 2 cucumbers in his tank. To the best of his knowledge no bobbit/eunice worms.
Wondering if you might be able to id or help out.
The large one in pictures is about 4mm long.
<Wow! No wonder your pix aren't cropped, crisp (highly resolved)... Likely are Holothurians, but could be some type of worm. I wouldn't panic. Thanks for sharing. Bob Fenner>

Re: Id of worm/potential young sea cucumber 6/13/18
Hi Bob,
Yes was very hard to get pics. Those were the best i could get.
So you would say safe to let loose in display?
<Yes; I would>
I figure if they are small holothurians the sand would be a benefit.
Adam
<Agreed. Cheers Adam. BobF>

Sea creature ID 1/17/18
Hi,
I found this creature on the beach at Sorrento, a town on Port Philip Bay, near Melbourne, Southeast Australia.
It looks like a sea cucumber, but I have searched the net, including your site, and haven't found any that are white.
It measured about 15cm end to end.
Could it be an albino? Or not a sea Cuke at all, but something else?
Thanks,
Daniel
<Looks too smooth to be a Sea Cucumber... my guess is on a worm group. Perhaps a Sipunculid, Echiuran.
Bob Fenner>

Cucs? Are they multiplying. 2/7/16
I'm new to the forum but have been reading your posts for years. A wealth of info for the reader. Thank you. This (Florida Aquacultured) LR hitchhiker seems to be multiplying. Arrived Thursday attached to a rock and didn't move. No attempt to filter LS or (new dry) oolite, he just stayed attached to a rock about a quarter of the way up in the tank. Yesterday I noticed
protruding ornamental-looking flowery tentacles coming in and out his rear end. I thought he might be expunging his guts, but after looking online, guts (and potential disaster poisoning) seems to be white sphetti-like strings (ruled out) this is not what coming out of him. So I left him alone. This a.m. there are two smaller versions of him where he was stationed and he's moved a few inches.
Mithrax crabs, stars, all other hitchhiking life seems unaffected by this event.
Upon inspection, I see two others of the same on the opposite side of the tank perched high on LR. Those two seem to be attached by one end, one end sticking up.
<Are these things actually moving?>
I want to know what they are and if they are multiplying. They are not sponges but seem to be some species of Cucs.
<Maybe one or t'other... if mobile, my guess is on the latter>
I think it's reasonable the two perched high on the rock, on the other side of the tank, crawled there overnight and are not related to the first one which moved a apparently left two small duplicates of itself.
I'm attaching photos for some visuals. I hope they display. This is the first forum post.
The first photo is the original hitchhiker. Note the flowery tentacles on the (right) end. They move in and out.
<Strange... would you be willing to sacrifice one to dissect it?>
The second photo is the new small (hard to see in photo) duplicates.
The third photo are the two perched on end at opposite side of tank.
Unrelated most likely to the duplication event. For better ID of species.
This tank is newly cycling. Ammonia was 1.0 yesterday, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 0. Today Ammonia 2.0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 0, pH 7.9,
<Low pH from cycling>
temp 80 degrees.
Note: Because of the abundance of life on this live rock that is cycling.
I did a 10% water change yesterday and I'm considering the 10% water change today. I understand it's unorthodox, but I don't mind cycling slower to preserve all the life on this rock.
<I would keep changing water; trying to keep ammonia under 1.0 ppm, and pH above 8>
Thank you.
8kindsofcool
<Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner>

Re: Cucs? Are they multiplying. 2/7/16
Bob,
<Car>
Thanks for the reply. Yes, the original animal moved to a new location two inches upwards on LR from where it resided for two days upon placing the rock. The duplicates move very slightly like caterpillars sometimes move, moving only one end, probing the water but stay in their spot.
<I see>
They are soft and fleshy with (soft) short exterior tentacles and a dark colored protrusion on one end.
<Strange. I'll admit, I've not seen this before>
The largest, 3" long x 1/2" thick "original" has a flowery ornamental curlyQ hind-end that protrudes about a 1/2" at times. The exterior body tentacles occasionally move, like a starfishes "feet" but not so much as to appear actively searching for a food source.
One of the "duplicates" is about 1" long and "active" but remains stationary to its place on the rock. There are two other "duplicates" less than 1/2" long that look pod-like with definite dark protrusions on one end, their other end appears "affixed" to the rock, in they have not moved from their position. I can see than tiny life-like body movements, enough to appear alive. They are definitely living creatures. None have shown interest in migrating to substrate. They prefer to be on rock.
<Odd>
The two "newly emerged" specimens, which seemed to migrate into their current upright position overnight are about 1 1/2" long, 1/3" thick, and are perched like pineapples at the highest point in the tank. They are the farthest possible distance from the "original" location wise. They were definitely not in that location yesterday nor did I see them at all before this morning so I assume these creatures are capable of climbing terrain and prefer it to sifting sand. These two have rather pointy ends sticking upwards with no dark protrusions showing. Their "base" end on the rock is thicker than their pointy tops.
I've found another, "vacationing" in a ledge.
The ones "sunning" (power compacts 76 watts total in 29 gal biocube) out in the open and viewable, have snail-like short trunks. I don't know the scientific term for this "snout". Photo provided.
They are all pink-gray in color and definitely the same species.
I will be happy to send one. Pls provide details. What cool thing will you send to me? : )
<Heeee! Maybe my sister>
Note taken on water changes.
Carolyn
<I'd definitely keep them; but... what are they? Pennatulaceans? Some sort of worm? New to me.
BobF>

Re: Cucs? Are they multiplying. Cukes... likely in place from the get go 2/13/16
Bob, I don't want your sister, she won't fit in my 29 gal biocube.
<How 'bout if I throw in a car?>
The 1st attached photo is of the ornamental hind-end or mouth, whichever way you want to look at it, of one of the "duplicates".
The 2nd photo is of another of these creatures cruising the glass.
To date, I have never seen one on the substrate. They prefer height.
Regards,
Carolyn

Please help identify this please 4/18/15
<14.5 megs in pix/ why?>
I got with red kelp what is it and will it hurt my fish it looks like a filter feeder but i havr bin wrong before thank you for any help
<A Sea Cucumber; maybe a Synapta, Synaptula sp. See WWM re. Bob Fenner>

Unidentifiable Worm 1/21/15
Good afternoon everyone :)
<Bri; ten megs of pix; really? They're too poor in quality, not cropped... >
The other week when I was feeding my tank, I noticed an almost clear worm coming from out of my rock. It looked like it was a feeding off of the rock.
<I see this in your .mov>
The mouth and body was shaped like the detachable end of the vacuum hose, the circular mouth of it. I've Googled and Googled and Googled trying to figure it out, but no luck :( thank you for any info that you may be able to help me with
<Looks more like a small Holothuroidean to me than any worm-group. Bob Fenner>

Re: Unidentifiable Worm 1/21/15
Thank you for your fast response Mr. Fenner:) I apologize for the picture quality, as I took them and sent them through my iPhone and didn't realize that it would be difficult to see. Once again thank you kindly, and I will be Googling about these now lol. If I may have any other questions regarding this, am I able to reply to this email?
<Ah yes. Cheers, BobF>
Bri

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