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FAQs about Sea Squirts Identification 2
Related Articles: Sea
Squirts/Tunicates/Ascidians,
Related FAQs: Ascidian/Sea Squirt ID 1,Sea
Squirt ID 3, Sea Squirt ID 4, & Ascidians 1,
Ascidians 2, Ascidian Behavior,
Ascidian Compatibility, Ascidian
Selection, Ascidian Systems,
Ascidian Feeding, Ascidian Disease,
Ascidian Reproduction, |
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Unidentified Underwater Object: Likely Ascidian – 4/12/08
<Hi
Joe!>
You know, I am bound to find something that is
unidentifiable even to the WWM crew.
<Heheee! You may well have
succeeded this time!>
LOL. You guys have been fantastic and I
find myself coming back yet again with an unknown critter that seems
to have stumped me and most of my friends. It was speculated that it
could be a jelly fish of some type
<I can see why someone would
say that. The pattern in the middle is very reminiscent of one!>
..but this guy is fixed on the LR and doesn't move... I attached the
best pics I could, any ideas?
<Well, to be honest, I’m fairly
well stumped myself. My best guess is that it’s some sort of
Ascidian or sea squirt/tunicate - something similar to the Botryllus
species at the following links:
http://massbay.mit.edu/exoticspecies/exoticmaps/images/botrylluss_big.jpg
http://www.armofthesea.info/images/animalimgs/goldenstar_lg.jpg
For more images, please enter “Botryllus” in Google’s Image search
engine:
http://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi
More
information on Ascidians: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ascidians.htm >
TIA
Joe Brillon
<Hope that's it! If not, let me/us know. Take
care, -Lynn>
Re: Unidentified Underwater Object: Likely Ascidian - 4/15/08
<Hi Joe!>
Well you thwarted my efforts once again to stump you
and the crew over at WWM.
<Heheee! I have to admit that you very
nearly succeeded this time!>
That is exactly it, <Yay!> many
thanks again. Until next time where I will try again to leave you
scratching your head.
<LOL You're very welcome, I look forward to
it!>
Take care.
Joe Brillon
<You too, Joe. Have a great
week! –Lynn> |  
Likely so. RMF
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Red Tube Hitcher 02/19/2008
Good afternoon!
<<Hello,
Andrew here>>
I've noticed some strange red tubes among some
zoanthids today and I was wondering what they were. I figure they
are some sort of filter feeder, but I'd like to know if they are
harmful to my zoas. These tubes shut and retract a bit if I touch
them. I have attached a couple photos of them. There are more on
that rock, too, but all seem to be connected to something in the
base. Thank you for your time! Zoë Stevens
<<What you have there
is a sea squirt, or otherwise known as an Ascidian. These are a
harmless filter feeder and will not hurt your Zoa's. More info can
be found here and the linked articles and FAQ's.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ascidians.htm >>
<<Thanks for the
question. A Nixon>> | 
Who you calling a squirt?
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Identification 1... Tunicate 10/2/07
Dear Bob,
<Hi Jason,
Mich with you in the wee hours of the morning.>
I found a couple
of these guys in my wet/dry trickle filter. See attached picture.
<I see.>
They are definitely mobile and have skeletons
<Mmm,
not really. I know what you are seeing but it is not truly a
skeleton.>
but no idea if they are bad or good.
<They are
good. What you have is a tunicate. They are very neat creatures
indeed! Some are extraordinarily beautiful. I saw and photographed
many in the Bahamas.>
They are not in my refugium or main tank so
I'm not quite sure how or why they are in my wet/dry filter.
<They are there because the conditions are favorable and there are
no predators.>
Thanks for all your help and making this hobby
fun.
<Welcome and thank you for your kind words. Is always good
to hear from folks who are enjoying the hobby. Mich>
Jason
Blurry photo... Maybe a tunicate? 10/2/07
Dear Bob,
<Nope, Mich again.>
I have quite a few of these red bubble
entities around my live rocks. They have various tubular openings
with what looks like red hair type worms that extend out from them.
They don’t seem to bother my fish or other inhabitants but I am
curious as to what they might be.
<I am having a difficult time
making out the image in the photo. Does your camera have a macro
setting? You might trying retaking the picture with the Macro turned
on (the symbol often resembles a flower). This may be a tunicate as
well, but I'm really not sure. A clear picture, may just clear the
picture! ;)
Thanks
<Welcome! Mich>
Jason |
.jpg) 
Bingo! |
Strange growth on coral 10/11/07
Hi,
I have a coral that
is growing a strange tip on one side. Now I have string worms
crawling on it too. What is it? Should I try to pry it off? It is
getting bigger.
<Wow, that is very strange. My best guess is some
kind of parasitic barnacle or mollusk.>
Also, I am finding more
and more of these worms in my tank. Should I do something about
them?
<Remove the growth. Whatever it is, it doesn't look good.>
Sammy
<Best,
Sara M.> | 
You got yourself an Ascidian there mister. RMF
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Crabs... and Ascidian, IDs – 08/02/07
Hey Crew.
<Hey
now! Mich here.>
It's been a long time since I last wrote (about
3 days).
<Heehee! That is a long time from this email address!>
I have some crabs in my display about which I'm curious. Pics are
attached. The first pic is just a cool, very big sea squirt that I
have--just a cool pic, no question.
<Neat!>
The second pic is
of a decorator crab (I think Schizophrys dama).
<Likely so.>
It is small (maybe 1/4" tall) and I think it's a really cool crab
(watching him lumber about, etc.), but I also know your general
feeling about crabs. As you can see, he has poached some polyps from
my tree corals. I saw him molesting them tonight, although they
didn't seem to mind too much.
<Hopefully he's just fragging it
and not noshing on it.>
Anyway, question #1 is whether I should
get him out of the display and, if so,
<He's not "reef safe".
whether I can put him in my 30g refugium (4-6" DSB with 4lbs live
rock and Chaeto)?
<Could.>
Will it eat my pods/Chaeto?
<I'm not sure. I'm not finding much on the diet of this particular
species but most crabs are opportunistic omnivores.>
I could put
him in my 30g QT, but not much in there for him to do.
<This may
be a good option.>
Third pic is of some type of filter feeding
crab that I noticed tonight. Not a very good picture, but it
definitely has sweeper arms that it uses to filter feed and you can
clearly see its filters in the attached pic. It doesn't look like
any Porcelain Crab I've ever seen (which is the only crab I found
while researching that has similar feather-like appendages). So,
question #2 is any idea what type of crab this is?
<Is likely a
Neopetrolisthes or Petrolisthes species.>
Final question (no pic)
is the suitability of what I think is a Mithrax forceps (Red-Ridged
Clinging Crab). It came in on some live rock and I've been observing
it for several months. It doesn't seem to molest anything other than
the little bit of macroalgae that I had (notice past tense) in my
display.
<"Seem to molest" is likely an accurate description...
Most crabs are opportunistic omnivores.>
Muchas gracias.
<De
Nada!>
Andy
<Mich> | 
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Local Reef club couldn't give me an ID, hope you guys can. ID Question,
need more details – 4/13/07
Hello,
<Hi Greg>
I posted
pics at my local reef aquarium club and nobody was able to id this mass.
<Bring it on, I love a good challenge!> I picked out a rock to frag some
zoanthids and noticed this on the bottom of the rock. I am assuming a
pistol shrimp had tunneled under the rock. The rock was sitting in the
sandbed and I can't remember if it had space under it for flow.
<Hmmm, that’s what I’d like to know too! My first thought is that it’s a
colonial tunicate/sea squirt colony of some sort. It’s not unusual for
them to be in protected areas or overhangs, but underneath a rock like
what you describe would seem to be pushing it. However, I suppose it
might be possible if there was enough room under there and some degree
of flow. What I’d like to do is get just a little more information, such
as how large the mass actually is. It doesn’t have to be exact I’m just
trying to get an idea of scale. Also, are the tube-looking cells that
make up the mass gelatinous, soft, rubbery, or hard? Finally, if you
notice anything else, please let me know. Let’s see if we can figure
this thing out!>
Thanks for your time,
Greg...
<You’re very
welcome, Greg. I look forward to hearing back from you! –Lynn>
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n225/heysemo/100_0392.jpg
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n225/heysemo/100_0391.jpg
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n225/heysemo/100_0390.jpg |
Re: Tunicate Id - 5/5/07
<Hello again! Lynn here.>
You
called it perfectly. <Yay! Thank you so much for letting us know.> I
placed the rock higher in the tank to a position allowing me to see
underneath the rock. It is a tunicate. It's obvious to me now after
seeing it fully expanded and such. <I bet it’s beautiful too!>
Thanks for your opinion.. you guys nailed it..
<I'm so glad we
could help, Greg.> |  .jpg)
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Grey disc with white circles... ID Tunicates (Clavelina robusta)
3/21/07
Hi,
<Hello Allan, Mich here.>
Please could you
let me know what this grey disc shape thing is please (photo attached)
<Looks like a colony of tunicates, I believe Clavelina robusta.>
my
tank has been set up for 4 weeks and I noticed this on the live rock
about 2 weeks it was about 1cm across.
It expands over a few days
then sort of deflates and seems to spread or grow, but today it seems as
if it’s splitting into 2.
any help good or bad please.
Tunicate
are a delightful addition. More here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ascidians.htm >
thanks
<Welcome! -Mich>
Allan | 
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Green Tunicates 3/8/07
I just read your article "Almost US!?
Sea Squirts, Tunicates, Ascidians, Subphylum Urochordata, Phylum
Chordata" on Wet Web media. I was actually looking for a pic of some
green growth I have in my tank, that people referred to as tunicates,
and recommended your article. I am sure they are tunicates, but can you
help identify what species? (See pic, attached). I got them on some Gulf
of Mexico LR from my LFS.
<I cannot identify these to species...
perhaps a perusal of the popular works of Dan Gotshall, Alex
Kerstitch...>
Thought you might enjoy the picture to add to your
"collection".
Thanks for all your help!
Best Regards,
Marti
DuGuay
<Thank you for sharing. Bob Fenner, who has traveled and
dived in Mexico's California for more than two years total time, but
obviously (due to lack of pix, knowledge) has only (shades of Karen
Carpenter) "only just begun".> | 
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Tunicate Invasion 3/5/07
Hello:
<Hi.>
You have been very
kind in the past in answering my questions and I hope you can help me
with this one. Not long after I transferred my very healthy Dwarf Zebra
Lionfish from to my 55 gallon display tank, I began to notice white
specks on the glass and ornaments. They were accompanied by the things
in the photos attached to this email. They look like some kind of
parasite but they are not affecting the fish at all. They are though
making my tank look terrible as you can see. I keep the water and gravel
very clean and I also scrape the glass but these things return.
The
tank has been up for five years and I never saw these things UNTIL I put
the Lion in there. What are they and how do I get rid of them? As
always, any help is very much appreciated. Thank you for your time.
<These are tunicates, are not directly harmful/parasitic at all. Please
see WWM re: for more detail about them. an overabundance may indicate
an underlying nutrient issue though.>
Robert Sabbia
<Adam J.> | Mmmm,
no. Are Syconoid sponges. RMF |
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