Bug ID please

[hobbzz]

Found this guy on a blue tort I picked up yesterday at the LA frag swap. Die off was from the coral getting too cold during holding/transport, or so I thought. I doubt they could do it in one day, but could it be a bunch of these guys doing the damage as well? Sorry I don't have a macro lens.

 

[Drix]

is it one of the famed "red bugs" maybe?

 

[hobbzz]

Well it's not red, it's clear, so I'm not sure. Are red bugs actually red, or does the name come from something else?

 

[Drix]

Red bugs are known I think for their red heads not so much for being red. But then again I wouldn't really know, I don't have corals yet.

Anyhow, here's a picture of red bugs from www.melevsreef.com:

If thats not it I'm not sure, but I'd definatly ask in one of the coral forums. They're all over that sort of thing there.

 

[Drix]

Hmm... Comparing side by side I'm not sure this is your problem...

 

[hobbzz]

Yeah from the pics of red bugs that I've seen, these little guys look to be about 20-30 times larger than red bugs. I know it's kind of hard to get an idea of size, but these guys are about the size of an amphipod, only shaped much differently.

 

[650-IS350]

baby mysis or some type of shrimp or POD

 

[dendro982]

If they are flattened from top to the bottom, could be isopods.



Here is thread about Munna sp. isopods http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=847163, more and Shimek's page, Herbivorous isopods.

I had problems with them and the soft corals and sponges, small wrasse helped, if tank is small - could be other pod-picking fish, with beaked mouth. Other people had a problem too, only pictures are already removed from this thread.