Crazy Hitchhiker ID (pic)

[Sitarangi]

It showed up maybe 4 months ago and its about 3" top to bottom. It started as a small almost fungus looking thing. It was faint white at first but now seems to be turning a bright pink, the arms glow green under actinic light.

I think its some sort of filter feeder, my first guess was maybe a hitchhiking sea apple or something similar.

The tank's parameters are pristine and its under a 150w 14k halide in a 29g tank. The live-rock is super mature and covered in button polyps, coraline worms, and of course the lovely aptasia.

 

[cilyjr]

are you talking about the xenia?

 

[spamreefnew]

+1 i just see normal corals?

 

[tahoe61]

Sacrophyton, leather coral.

 

[Sitarangi]

The large white tree-looking thing in the center. Believe me it is not xenia.

 

[Sitarangi]

Sacrophyton, leather coral.

Good call. :thumbsup:

 

[justisathomesea]

it looks like a feather duster, not sure though hard to see

 

[Sitarangi]

it looks like it could be either a feather duster or aiptisia its hard to tell in that picture.

Theres a bit of both if you look close enough. This is my softie tank.

 

[Frick-n-Frags]

the thing on the stalk up front is an octocoral..the xenia behind it should be a good enough comparison for the new people to see the difference between xenia and those possible leather polyps.

i'm not jumping on the sarcophyton bandwagon just yet..those dont really resemble sarco polyps to me....too much extra stuff on the tentacles....

the tentacles look more like sinularia ones, but the polyp length does look more like a sarco..so the jury is out on specifically what kind of leather that may be for me.

 

[mr.maroonsalty]

That is a Kenya above Capnella sp. and I think the little guy may be a drop from it; they spread like weeds, though leather had crossed my mind, as the polyps aren't quite right for Kenya...yet.