|
FAQs about Non-Vertebrate Animal
Identification
23
Related Articles: Marine Invertebrates, Marine Invertebrate Systems, Marine Invertebrate Compatibility,
Marine Invertebrate Disease,
Marine Invertebrate
Reproduction, Quarantine of Corals and
Invertebrates, Feeding
Reef Invertebrates, Lighting
Marine Invertebrates, Water Flow, How Much
is Enough,
Related FAQs: Non-Vert IDs 1, Non-Vert IDs 2, Non-Vert IDs 3, Non-Vert IDs 4, Non-Vert IDs 5, Non-Vert IDs 6, Non-Vert IDs 7, Non-Vert IDs 8, Non-Vert IDs 9, Non-Vert IDs 10, Non-Vert IDs 11, Non-Vert IDs 12, Non-Vert IDs 13, Non-Vert IDs 14, Non-Vert IDs 15, Non-Vert IDs 16, Non-Vert IDs 17, Non-Vert IDs 18, Non-Vert. ID 19, Non-Vert. ID 20, Non-Vert. ID 21, Non-Vert. ID 22, Non-Vert. ID 24, Non-Vert. ID 25, Non-Vert ID 26, Non-Vert ID 27, Non-Vert ID 28, Non-Vert ID 29, Non-Vert ID 30 Non-Vert ID 31, Non-Vert ID 32, Non-Vert 33, Non-Vert ID 34, Non-Vert ID 35, Non-Vert ID 36, Non-Vert ID 37, Non-Vert ID 38, Non-Vert ID 39, Non-Vert ID 40, Non-Vert ID 41, Non-Vert ID 42,
Non-Vert ID 43, Non-Vert ID 44, Non-Vert ID 45, Non-Vert ID 46, Non-Vert ID 47, Non-Vert ID 48, Non-Vert ID 49, Non-Vert ID 50, Non-Vert ID 51, Non-Vert ID 52, Non-Vert ID 53, Non-Vert ID 54, Non-Vert ID 55,
Non-Vert ID
57, Non-Vert ID 58,
Non-Vert ID 59,
Non-Vert ID 60, Non-Vert ID 61,
& Marine Invertebrates, Marine Invert.s 2, Marine Invert.s 3, & FAQs about:
Marine Invertebrate Behavior,
Marine Invertebrate
Compatibility, Marine
Invertebrate Selection, Marine
Invertebrate Systems, Feeding
Reef Invertebrates, Marine
Invertebrate Disease, Marine
Invertebrate Reproduction, &
& LR
Life Identification, LR
Hitchhiker ID 1, Anemone
Identification, Aiptasia
Identification, Aiptasia ID 2,
Worm Identification, Tubeworm ID, Polychaete Identification, Snail Identification, Marine Crab
Identification, Marine Invert.s 1,
Marine Invert.s 2, Marine Plankton,
|
|
Hitchhiker critter 3/8/07 Greetings!
<And salutations! Mich here.> I am relatively new to
Saltwater Aquaria. <Do you have "The Conscientious Marine
Aquarist" by Robert M. Fenner in your library? If not,
you should. It will help you navigate your way through this
often-challenging hobby.> I have a 30-gallon reef tank with 30 lbs
of live rock and sand. The tank has been running well with no
causalities since December, 2006. All weekly water tests are great!
Tonight I saw for the first time an unidentifiable snail or slug. From
what I read on your site, I am actually thinking it could be a sea slug
or nudibranch. <Possible.> It is cream in color with tiny brown
spots, about the size of a fingernail and has no apparent shell. It can
contort its body into many shapes and ultimately squeezes down into
small holes in the live rock. It was sucking on the glass today and
from the underneath it appeared just like a normal snail. It's an
obvious hitchhiker, but I was curious if it would pose any problems to
my current livestock. <Difficult to say without a picture.>
(Coral Beauty, Maroon Clown, Neon Goby, Firefish, 3 green Chromis,
Mexican hermits, a couple Turbos and a skunk cleaner.) <Seven
fish! In a 30 gallon
tank! Yikes! Won't be happy for
long... Now I'm doubly recommending the book!> I got
lucky and also have some Hawaiian Feather duster clumps that have
recently shown themselves and are growing. <Very nice.> I enjoy
them all and would be disappointed if I were to lose them to this new
critter. <Glad to hear.> I've read that some Nudi's can
expel toxins. I appreciate your assistance and expertise. <Really is
difficult to say, especially without a photo. You have a
rather small system and it doesn't take much to upset the
balance.> Anything you can share would be great! <Get the book,
read the book, be the book, (OK don't be the book) but more
knowledge and less fish (in a 30-gallon) will make you more successful
in the long run.> Thanks, Lori <Welcome! Mich> Lori
Brawner
Hopefully better pictures of strange
creatures. 3/8/07 <Hi Faye, Mich
with you again.> I tried sending some photos the other day of
some mystery creature but the picture were rubbish <Yep!> so
I've sent some more which are slightly bigger and a bit
clearer, <Better, wish they were in a little better focus.>
the one that's bothering me is the strange little pyramid
shaped creatures which have started to move around my live rock. I
have no idea what they are, one of them is climbing up a bit of
algae at the moment. <Is it climbing the algae or
vice-versa?> They are very strange. <I thought you might have
a couple of tunicates on your hands but my understanding is that
these are sessile, non motile, creatures. So my best
guess would be tunicate, but it may be incorrect. A
tunicate will have two siphon holes. Do have a look here
and the links in blue: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ascidians.htm and see what you
think.> The other thing to be hopefully identified is some
orange polyps with black centres, they look nice but you never can
tell! <I believe, again I wish the photo was a bit more clear,
that these are a feather dusters of some sort, as they appear to
have tubes from which they extend. Do they retract when
touched? If so, most likely tis a cluster of feather
dusters. More here and links in
blue: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/feather.htm > By the
way, your site is great I've found loads of information!
<Thank you! Is good to hear.> Thanks in
<You're welcome! -Mich>
Faye |
| Re: Hopefully better pictures of strange
creatures. -- 03/09/07 <Hi Faye, Mich with
you.> Oh well its a mystery, I'll have to borrow my friends
camera and see if I can get better pictures with that, <See if
the camera has a macro setting, may have a button that looks like a
flower, if so use that, you may get clearer pictures.> the
polyps are sending runners so I don't think they are tubeworms
and they don't retract when touched. <If they don't
retract, then likely not tube worms.> As for the pyramid things
they're too small to see any detail other than their basic
shape and color, I can't even tell how they are moving I just
know they move about very slowly. The one that was climbing up the
algae stalk climbed to the top (about 4mm) in about 5 minutes, so
they're pretty slow! <But definite motile, so
unlikely tunicates.> Cheers anyway Faye <Sorry I couldn't
be more help. Hopefully better next
time! -Mich> |
|
|
Marine Creature ID - 3/7/07 First of
all, thank you so much for the great sight that you have set
up. I have learned almost everything i know about
saltwater reef aquarium keeping from this site Keep up
the good work! <Will try> I have noticed hundreds of tiny
white things all over the glass in my 75g saltwater
tank. What are they??? <Look like little polychaete
worms... likely Serpulids> They are about the size
of a pin head. Are they OK for my tank? Do i
need to get rid of them? How? <No problem, no> Any
help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time!
Sincerely, Lee
<Enjoy them... they'll likely pass in time... Bob
Fenner> |
|
|
Copepod Size Worm?? 3/6/07 I have a friend
telling me I have zoo eating nudi.s, next he's telling me I got
flatworms. I see neither just some copepod sized worms
in my frag tank thriving on the glass under T5HO
lighting. There's only a couple in the main tank but
I think they get eaten up so am not too concerned about
it. I figure you guys might want to add this pic to your
wonderful collection, had to use a magnifying glass....I
haven't seen any of these worms on corals or live rock, just on
the glass. <Pic not real clear, but looks to me like some are
indeed copepods, and a few others, tunicates. Nothing to
worry about here. James (Salty Dog)>
Mark |
|
|
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
|
| Invert ID Zoanthids <Maybe a
Chlorophyte> and Euryalid 02/17/07 Dear
Mr. Fenner, <Hi Laurie, Mich here.> I hope I am not going to
crash your server again! <Nope! Not this time!> I
have resized the pictures of the inverts. I hope you can id them
for me! <Will try, the photo are quite blurry. The
Macro setting on your camera (symbol often looks like a flower)
might help for future reference.> I do not know if you have
received the text--so, I'll write everything again.
<Actually saved the text before deleting the overwhelmingly
large photos. Included the original text at the end of
this message.> The group of green tubes began to grow around
November in my classroom 12 gal. tank. The largest is about 1 inch
long with a diameter of about 1/16 of an inch. The tubes are
turning white at the base and appear to have fine white
"hairs" on them. There appears to me a mouth also at the
end of the tube (I can see a dark green slit), although I have
never seen the mouth open. See photo of green tubes. <I believe
the photo shows a zoanthid colony. Please read more
here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/zoanthid.htm ><<This
looks like the Green Algae, Neomeris sp. to me. RMF>> The
second photo was taken of my gorgonian in my 55 gallon home
tank. The creature has been attached to the gorgonian
since I bought the gorgonian and is growing fast. Its
"arms" move, but it appears to stay in the same place
daily...a possible Euryalid?! <Could be, hard to tell by the
photo but the description and the behavior would
fit. RMF any comment?><<Maybe>> Thank you
for your help! <Welcome! -Mich> Laurie Price
<Mmm, Laurie... the pix aren't here... are you sure you
attached them? Please cc yourself (to make sure they're getting
through) and re-send. BobF> <Original text below.> I have
(possibly) two different types of inverts that I cannot id. myself.
One type is in my classroom's 12 gallon nano tank. There are
about 7-8 of them. They began growing last November. They are not
about 1 inch long with a diameter of about 1/16 of an inch. They
appear to have white "hairs/fuzz" on their bodies. See
photo of lime green tubes. The other creature is on my
gorgonian in my 55 gallon tank at home. It, too, is growing. It has
maroon skin and several arms. The arms have cream colored
"feathery" branches coming out of them. See photo of
purple gorgonian. Thanks for your help! Laurie Price, NPHS |
Re: Invert ID Zoanthids and Euryalid
follow-up - 02/21/07 Thank you! Laurie Price <Hi
Laurie, Mich here again. You are welcome though I
don't know if you saw the correction on our FAQ's page made
by RMF. I sorry, but I believe I answered your question
incorrectly. I thought you were referring to what looked
like zoanthids toward the back of the photo you sent, but rereading
your question I think RMF is correct and you were referring to the
algae toward the front of the photo. The lime green
tubes are called Fuzzy Tip Algae or Spindleweed
(Neomeris). Nothing to be concerned about and is a
pretty addition. Hope that helps,
Mich> |
|
 
|
| Sea Slug, Flatworm, Something Else? The Latter,
ID Stomatella Snail. 2/14/07 Hello, <Hi
there! Mich here.> First, since I'm sure you
don't hear this EVER (hah), I LOVE YOUR WEBSITE! <Thank
you! Yes we do hear this occasionally.> I was looking
on your website and possibly found something that I
have in my tank. I saw some white clouds squirting out from one of
my live rocks the other day and then I saw a creature through the
hole where the clouds were coming from. Its size is somewhere
between a quarter and a half dollar. It is grayish,
relatively opaque. It almost looks like a slug or a snail without
the shell. <Actually, there most likely is a shell, but it is
quite a bit smaller than the actually snail. I saw your
prior gigantic photos. I believe you have a Stomatella
snail reproducing in your tank. A wonderful addition
that is often self-sustaining. Once your population is
established share them with your fishy friends.> I read on your
site that this could be a type of flatworm and that the white
clouds could be toxic?!? I guess, what do I do? <No worries here
my friend.> My rocks have been in my tank (55 gallons) since the
summer and my fish (2 clown fish) and snails have been in there
since November, so it's still relatively new. I do not have any
corals, clams, or anemones yet. So, if the first time I saw it was
3 days ago, then how did it get there? Hitchhiker on the live rock
probably there for quite sometime before you noticed it.> Do I
have any more? <Hopefully!> I guess, would you please send me
any information about this creature? I honestly thought it was a
sea slug, but now reading that it could be a flatworm, I'm
nervous. <No cause for alarm.> I tried e-mailing you the
other day with a picture of it attached, but I got a
response saying it was too large of a picture so my e- mail was
deleted. I do not know how to make the picture smaller, or check
the size of it (I have an Apple iBook G4, in case that matters at
all). <I have a newly acquired MacBook that I too am
learning about. I believe when you go to attach the
photo if you scroll down under the photo on the right hand side you
can choose the size as actual, large, medium or
small. Choose medium or small. Hope that
helps. -Mich> |
|
|
| Re: Sea Slug, Flatworm, Something Else? The
Latter, ID Stomatella Snail. Part 2 2/14/07
Hello, <Hi there! Mich with you again.> I just
sent you info about my possible flatworm or something that is
squirting out white clouds into my water. <Yep, got it.> I
was having trouble attaching a picture that wasn't huge. I
think I figured out how to make it smaller. It is now 112K and I
can't get it any smaller without cutting into the actual
creature. Sorry for any confusion. <No worries!> This picture
is attached below. <Got it!> It's kind of gross looking!
<Might not be pretty, but is beneficial. A lucky
addition! -Mich> |
Re: Sea Slug, Flatworm, Something Else? The Latter, ID
Stomatella Snail - 02/15/07 <Hello, Mich with you
again.> Oh my gosh! I am so excited now! <Excellent!> As a
beginner, I was seriously losing sleep these past couple days worrying
it was a toxic flatworm. <No worries my friend!> So,
I do not need to do anything special to this snail, it'll
just survive on it's own with the algae that is naturally
growing in my tank? <Hopefully!> I Googled that type of snail and
one website said that it lets its sperm or eggs into the water and
it'll turn the water milky for a short while. Would that
explain the white clouds that it was squirting out?
<Exactly!> Is it safe to assume that I have more than one in
there? <Most likely.> I'm really excited! It's not so
gross anymore, snails are cute, haha. <Hehehe!> Thank you so much
for your help! <You're very welcome! -Mich>
Sarah
|
|
