Bearded Snail

[digger4rc]

It looks like at least one of my astrea snails has a couple freeloaders on board. Anyone know what these are? More importantly, do I need to cull them? They have a white base on the tube that goes about half way up, green on the upper half of the tube, and small "feathers" on the ends. Click the links for larger copies of the images. The second image has a long filament of chaeto that seems to love the DT, but I'll save that topic for a different thread.

Image1
Image2

 

[Sk8r]

Weird. Looks as if it came in with a species of algae growing on it. I'd be a little careful and maybe put the snail in the sump or fuge. Algae in a dt is a pita.

 

[cloak]

You could just take a wire brush to the shell. This will get rid of it.

 

[supertony]

This reminds me of something I learned in bio class. Maybe Hydroza?
Follow this link and scroll to the picture of "snail fur", although pictured here on a crab and not green. There are green species as well.
Great pictures btw. Doesn't quite look like algae to me.

 

[supertony]

Oops! here's the link

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/03/14/476922/-Marine-Life-Series-Hermit-Crab-Symbionts#

 

[Silvergryphon]

I have a couple Hippie Astreas in my tank. They have some either byropsis or long GHA growing on their shells that I have to hand trim off every once in while.

 

[Aerosol]

I have no idea what it is, but I have some stuff like that in my tank. It's been there for over a year, came in on live rock, and hasn't grown or spread. I would keep an eye on it, but if it's the same stuff I have, it shouldn't be a problem.