Help! Nobody can ID!

[Bullet Reef]

Another reefer gave me some of this cool looking stuff which he thought might be a sponge but it definitely isn't and now we're very interested in finding out what it is!

It's very hard to tell by the picture above but it almost looks like some type of cool looking macro algae by it's growth shape/pattern, but it's composition is definitely not like macro but more like anemone tissue or something... it's slimy and almost reminds me of fish eggs in a way. I took it out of water completely to examine it better and it collapsed in my hand like a pile of slimy goo but then back to it's shape when put back into the water. It's sort of transparent, not completely opaque, kinda like fish eggs. The only thing I do know is I'm 99% sure it's NOT a sponge!

Like I said, it really reminds me of some type of anemone and kind of reminds me of caviar by it's texture (for lack of a better word)

Does anyone have any idea what it could be? Is there any type of much less common anemone it could possibly be? It's really so much like an anemone, I don't know what else it could be but it's not any type of anemone that I've seen before and nobody in my local forum can ID it either.

 

[Bullet Reef]

C'mon.... anybody?

 

[jgoodrich71]

Hard to tell with the blurred picture, but my guess would be tunicates.

 

[JaYbIrD1969]

Let google do the work for you

http://marineplantbook.com/marineplantbookredalgae.htm

 

[SushiGirl]

I would also lean toward tunicates.

 

[biocube14g]

red cauleflower? jkjk.....i have never seen anything like this in my life.

 

[RyanSweatt2004]

Does it expand or contract, change shape in any way from day to night?

 

[RyanSweatt2004]

After doing a few google searches, I would guess its a compound turnicate, maybe Ecteinascidia turbinata or something similar?

 

[LeslieH]

Bullet Reef - I don't think it's a tunicate. why don't you put a piece of it into alcohol & send it to me at my museum so I can id it. Since I'm in Los Angeles the cost of mailing it shouldn't be bad. PM me if you're interested.

 

[Bullet Reef]

I'm fairly certain that it's not a tunicate as well and even more certain that it's not any type of algae. Since my friend removed it from his rock and gave it to me unattached to anything I currently have it in one of those cups that fish sometimes come in with slots in it and a piece of a plastic bag from the lfs rubberbanded over the top. After I get my kids to bed, I'm planning in working on the tank a bit and I will try and get a better picture of it and post it here.
I'm not really sure if it contracts or changes shape at all during the day because it's still not happen I only look at it a few times throughout the day and can't get the greatest look at it since there are tiny spots of coralline growing all over the cup.

 

[Bullet Reef]

Leslie- That would be awesome! I am so curious to know what this is! So often, for me, it's the tiny bugs and hitchhikers I find in my tank that fascinate and intrigue me more than the fish and coral! I decided recently that I want to go back to school for marine biology as soon as my 3 year old twins are in school.
What museum is it? I'll pm you in a bit...

 

[LeslieH]

Yeah, I much prefer worms, bugs & hitchhikers to those boring old corals & fish!

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. If your kids are into dinosaurs you've gotta come here.

Ive sent you a PM with info on how to ship it & my address.