Do Zoa ever have sweeper tentacles?[ID]

[alcimedes]

Wondering if zoa can ever have sweepers? I have a group that are growing quickly, but I've forgotten when they're called. This morning I thought I saw a worm or some kind of filter feeder in the middle of the colony.

When I touched the white strands, the zoa they were by just closed up. I'll upload the video shortly, in the mean time here's a still photo of what the strands looked like.

https://vimeo.com/311475904

 

[jlmawp]

Hmm, not sure exactly what those are...perhaps a vermatid snail?

I think the zoas are closing up from the shadow you are casting on them, not from touching the tentacles.

 

[MondoBongo]

i would bet there's a little worm hiding out in that colony who's going fishing.

i've never seen softies or sps put out sweepers. as far as i know that is something reserved for LPS corals only.

if i had to guess, i would say maybe a type of peanut worm.

-edit- here's a handy guide that might help:

http://cdmas.org/articles/article-l...-rock/a-hitch-hikers-guide-to-the-reefs-worms

 

[alcimedes]

Maybe over lunch I'll head home and try to get a top down photo with all the pumps off. (and maybe one with the zoa closed up, see if there's something else in there?

Every sweeper type worm or snail etc. I've ever encountered would retract their feeding apparatus the second they were touched, but whatever these white strands are, they hardly moved at all, even with the tweezers touching them pretty roughly.

Prior to the colony expanding there in the last month or two, that was bare rock with nothing living there. (no vermatid snails for example.)

 

[MondoBongo]

there's not a chance it could be leftover antenna from a shrimp molt, could it?

 

[alcimedes]

There is a coral banded shrimp in the tank, in theory that might be the top part of it's head. I'll look tonight and see if I can get a better photo, or different angle.

I've never seen anything like it from any of my zoa colonies, and didn't think they could have sweepers.

 

[MondoBongo]

yeah i'd be curious to know.

these things can be really tough to identify. i had a clam eject a clump of byssal threads once and i thought i was under attack by the world's scariest looking nudibranch. :lol:

sometimes shrimp molts can get stuck in weird places and look pretty funky. good luck!

 

[alcimedes]

Solved. Will post photo shortly.

It was a pineapple sponge. (2)

 

[jlmawp]

With tentacles? Crazy. My pineapple sponges are underachievers.

 

[alcimedes]

mine grow those when they want to relocate. when they find a place they're happy they settle down and lose the spikes. I'd guess the zoa grew over the sponge's spot, and it's trying to give itself a bit of space, or move someplace else.

 

[crawlerman]

Just a word of caution, those are palys and they can grow and spread crazy fast. They can take over if not kept in check. Also be aware of palytoxin, if mishandled it can be really bad.

 

[alcimedes]

Yeah, they're totally covering this rock. I'll have to get a local reefer experienced with fragging to help me cut it back eventually.

 

[MondoBongo]

mine grow those when they want to relocate. when they find a place they're happy they settle down and lose the spikes. I'd guess the zoa grew over the sponge's spot, and it's trying to give itself a bit of space, or move someplace else.

very cool, i did not know this. thanks for coming back to show us. :beer: