Possible ID please? snail and crab 11/13/10
Greetings to you and the crew,
<Richard>
Once again I find myself relying on your expertise to sort out the miss-information I've gained through my research attempts.
The snail I have come to believe could be a whelk of some sort... but have also researched that since this shell does not display a body two times longer then the spire, so it isn't.
<Mmm, give a read here: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-11/rs/index.php
Unfortunately, I can not confirm where the little guy is from. All the live rock is about a year or more old and was touted as a combo of Fiji and Florida, with any frag/coral spending 8 to 10 weeks in isolation minimum... so I actually have no idea how long it has been in there. I have him in a container with a small piece of krill mash hopeful to observe it eat as I have read that whelks can/do not eat algae - but apparently being captured has put off his appetite. Could you possibly confirm what he is please?
<Likely a Conch...
http://wetwebmedia.com/MolluscPIX/Gastropods/Prosobranch%20PIX/Conchs%20Strombids/ConchF1.htm>
On a side note - could it be the reason for the die-off on the Monti?
<Mmm, not at all likely>
The crab was found on a piece of Haitian rock (still in isolation) and I am thinking Mithrax...
<The genus? Nah>
'cept I can't find any as fuzzy or grainy as he is. Of course, there isn't a wealth of 'identified' crab pics out there either:) Another description leans towards
a Black-Finger Crab, but they generally do not show/have fuzz. Presently he resides in a 3L Nano cube (no... not a typo) with chelto (spelling?) left in at all times, Nori, veg and meat flakes, and krill. I can't verify which he is eating. Again I ask... Can you ID please?
<Not from this pic, no. Bob Fenner>
Richard

ID please 11/12/10
Hello, hope all is well with you and yours.
<Hi, thank you>
I need an ID if possible. These growths just starting popping up from the GSP mat. They are on two separate colonies and the colonies are separated, one one one side of the tank and the other on the opposite side. Here is a pic or so. Any help is appreciated.
Leon
<Ahh! The one pic sort of looked like some sort of Soft Coral/Alcyoniid, but the second shows definitively that these are boring (as in mining, burrowing) sponges. There are quite a few of these... w/ Ascidians making up about half the biomass of what folks call live rock. Hopefully the two organisms will co-exist, making for an interesting display, discussion point. Bob Fenner>

Id please! 11/7/10
I have many of those little animals in my aquarium and have not yet find out what they are. They can change colour from white to dark brown, they have some kind of limbs on their round bodies, sometimes they can just be round as well. No visual mouth or eyes and can move as 5 cm in 24 hours. Biggest of them is around 0,7 -0,8 mm
<Are you joking Jane?>
Then I found also those snails on my Zoanthus colony which where nowhere else to be found. Zoanthus have been only half open these days. Thanks.
<What? BobF>
Id please!
http://cid-3abc70133b7ce128.skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?page=browse&resid=3
ABC70133B7CE128!225&type=5&Bpub=SDX.Photos&Bsrc=Photomail&authkey=FTQ93*17DY
8%24
<Won't open for me>
Re: Id please! 11/09/2010
Hi, again! What you mean by joking? These where my observations about them.
<I could not, cannot follow what you had written; nor download your image>
I have had them around two month and they game with the live rock and have been growing bigger. Do you have any idea what they could be. I am not shore you get the pictures so I send some new ones as a link as well. http://forumbilder.se/show.aspx?iid=977201070609P54c1 -sorry about the dirty glass, here is one on the glass http://forumbilder.se/show.aspx?iid=df7201072011Pfb11 - here is one sitting on the rock and the other one behind him on the red algae http://forumbilder.se/show.aspx?iid=667201072254P9062 - this picture is showing them on the bottom of the tank with the different colours http://forumbilder.se/show.aspx?iid=0f7201072630Peb8a - my best shot from the biggest one, now he is down in the bottom as well and was not staying well on the picture, he is double in size from the most others, he has been up on the glass as well, but I missed the shot.
<Nor do these... Please, "practice" sending your email/s to yourself... BobF>
<<Ahh, I see these linked images now, but can't exactly make out what you're referring to. Could you make the intended organisms larger, better resolved? B>>
Re: Id please! Motile sponge! 11/12/10
<<Ahh, I see these linked images now, but can't exactly make out what you're referring to. Could you make the intended organisms larger, better resolved? B>>
Hi again. Now I got the opportunity to make better pictures about them. The biggest one climbed on the glass again
<Neat!>
so I tried to zoom in as much as possible. I tried even to fix my description about them, so it would be better understood.
Description:
Size - the biggest is around 0,7-0,8 cm in diameter colour-they can change colour from white to dark-brown- they do it quite often without any visible reason.
body- they are round, not flat. They have no visual mouth or eyes. They can have several limbs "feet" on their body, which they can pull back inside of their body so they can be totally round, it also seems that their limbs can come out from different places from their bodies. It also looks like they don't use their limbs for moving, but roll themselves around instead.
When they are smaller they can have 3-4 limbs out at the same time, when they get bigger it can be more.
Feeding- I have no idea- it can not be light, because most of them stay in the bottom of the tank where there is a little light. They can not eat food given to fish, because they don't have any mouths. Filtration- maybe...well they must eat something, to be able to grow and live.
Behavior- As I mentioned before most of them stay in the bottom of the tank, but not all. They can move up to 5 cm in 24 hours. They can climb up on the glass and stones.
<Thank you for sending these along Jane. This is a sponge/Poriferan of some sort... and mobile! Most are not. And not harmful, indeed, many folks consider their presence to be indicative of good captive conditions. Please see here for more: http://wetwebmedia.com/SpongeIDF10.htm
and the linked files above. Cheers, BobF>

Yippie aye yo, yippie aye yay

"grass" anemone question 10/2/10
Hi all,
I recently bought an animal the LFS man called a "grass anemone".
<...Viatrix globulifera, Turtle Grass Anemone?>
It looks like coralline algae on a rock, about two inches wide, but opens up in the light to look like bright green grass, except it seems to have two little leaf-like shapes on the end of each grass-stalk. They are only about 1/3" tall when open, and wave in the current (90g FOWLR + cleaner shrimp, turbo snails, and now, the anemone). It is very beautiful. I have looked every where and can't find out its name. I wish I had a photo to send you.
<Me too>
Does this description sound familiar at all?
<Not as an anemone, no>
The other men at the LFS didn't know what I was talking about, only the owner, who wasn't there when I visited.
Thanks for any help you can give me. I'm really curious.
Edie
<See WWM re the species mentioned and Turtle Grass itself... and do send along an image if/when you can... I think what you're describing is a vascular plant. Bob Fenner>
Re: "grass" anemone question
Bob:
I looked up Viatrix globulifera on your WWM site, and in the meantime I looked through all my books. And I'm embarrassed to say I should have looked in The Conscientious Marine Aquarist first!! I found a photo---it seems to be Pachyslavularia viridis, green star polyps, instead of an anemone.
<Ohhh!>
Since the LFS man said anemone, I just assumed it was. (No wonder the other people in the store didn't know what I had bought!) If I manage to get a photo, I can still send one along, just to be sure.
Thanks for going to so much trouble for me.
Edie
<No worries Edie. BobF>
Re: "grass" anemone question
Hi again, Bob,
I'm attaching a photo of the green star polyp (I think); I hope it is clear enough.
Edie
<Ah, yes. B>

Gastropod or Octopus ? 10/2/10
Wet Web Media
<A.A.>
Dear Sirs
Hello. Thanks for your useful web site.
<Welcome>
I am a diving instructor and photographer based in the Red Sea.
<Fab>
I ran into a very strange creature 30 meters down and could not figure exactly what it is. As of now I believe it is a Tonnidae (T. Perdix ot T. Galea). But still not sure.
<Mmm, I don't think this is a Ton/Tun shell... at least I've never seen one with the mantle pulled up over the shell like this>
Photos were shown to few experts and they could not definitely identify it.
Feedback included : octopus, or a solid object with encrusting sponges ....etc
As you are an expert on marine life, I am looking for your kind help in identifying it, or advising me where else to look.
Below are some info and 2 photos (poor quality, so sorry). Thanks and regards
A A Khathlan
<I only see the one photo... is bizarre... I wish whomever made the shot had taken the time to approach, possibly touch this organism. It might be a killed Tonna perdix... could be a mimic octopus of some sort, perhaps badly damaged as well. Bob Fenner>

Names/Animal ID 9/30/10
Hi
<Hello Monique>
Please can you tell me what the two corals, fish and sea star are in the attached photos?
<Photo 1 appears to be a colony of Mushroom Anemones, Corallimorphs.
See/read here.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/corallim.htm Your starfish is a Brittle Star, again read here.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brittlestars.htm
<Oops, didn't know there would be a pic of a freshwater fish. Been years since I've been there, but
the fish is likely a Scissor Tail Tetra (Rasbora)
<<Mmm, no... these are likely Kuhlia mugil...>>
The coral in picture 2 is a Sarcophyton, common name
being Leather Coral. Again, http://www.wetwebmedia.com/alcyoniidsii.htm.
<<Mmm, no... another Alcyoniid genus. BobF>>
The starfish in picture 4 is likely an Asterina Starfish. Too poor a resolution to be absolutely sure.>
I also have an urchin, but unfortunately I couldn't take a clear picture of it. It is pink/purple in colour with short spines. And has yellow bands near the edge of its spines. Just want to know what the name is.
<Without a pic it would be difficult. Bob may know and input here and/or try Googling, should
come up with plenty of photos with IDs.>
Thank you
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Monique

Algae (?) ID 9/11/10
Hi All!
<Lea...>
I have two (new) unidentifiable "things" growing on my tank glass. The first (photo 2.jpg) appears to be a green filamentous algae; however, I'm not sure and wanted to check.
<Can't tell from your images... do you have a microscope?>
The small "clump" is anchored by a brown dot (if that helps). If it is, should I scrape it away? Or let it be?
<I'd do the latter. Will likely "pass" of its own accord in succession>
The second object (photo 4.jpg) is a small white dot with what looks like filaments coming off. They kind of look like really really tiny brittle stars.
<These are Hydromedusae... See here: http://wetwebmedia.com/hyzoidf5.htm
Maybe hatching pods for little crustaceans (I have a lot of amphipods crawling around on the glass as well, though know they're good).
Just so you know, I don't have any brittle stars in my tank. Well, not that I know of. I guess something could hitched a ride. Sorry the picture is a bit blurry, but they're really tiny!
Thanks for all your help! You guys rock!
Lea
<Be chatting. Bob Fenner>