Critter ID Help.

[noahm]

Unfortunately due to the size of the critter, I don't think I could get any good pics, but the description should be enough.

I have a few places in my tank where there are what look like 3"-5" strands of spider silk with very uniform lateral strands about 3/4" long. They come off the main strand on one side and look like ribs very evenly spaced. Ultimately they are attached to a small blob about 1/8"-1/4" long. The blob which kind of remotely looks like nudi/flatworm sends these very fine strands out into the flow and must be 'fishing' for stuff. Each blob has multiple strands. There are several on my return pipe and a few on some of the tree sponges. They don't seem to be night/day specific, but seem to extend a bit more regularly at night. If you shine a flashlight onto the blob, it will reel in the strand very quickly. when there are a group of them they can reel in like a bunch of fishermen without getting tangled up. They are quite intriguing and subtle. Does anyone else have them or know what they are.

 

[docklink]

Sound like spaghetti worms.

 

[Yogre]

+1 on spaghetti worm.

 

[noahm]

Sorry, not spaghetti. I have several spaghettis. A guy on the inverts found em for me. Ctenophore.

heres a few pics under the ctenophore section.

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchodds.html

another link to an RK article

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-03/rs/index.php

blob

fishing

 

[divemonster]

Thanks!

Thanks!

Another mystery solved. I have one of these in my nano tank and after that creepy business with my poor mushroom I was wondering if something was wrong with my "spagetti" worm.

Thanks for your diligence, Noah.

 

[docklink]

Cool. Thanks for the links also. I was vaguely aware of these though the only ones I've ever seen were under a microscope at Monterey Bay Aquarium. Didn't realize there were varieties larger than the diatoms.

 

[noahm]

Yeah, at first I thought it was just slime trails from something until I saw them retract. I have one on my purple sea fan that extends about 5". There are probably 20 on the return loc-line that runs in front of my k4. It like a regular pier full of fisherman.