Hoping to ID this...

[Cove Beach]

I apologize for the pic quality but i'm trying to find out if this is part of the coral or something i should remove. It looks like a snail that is turned upside down on the edge of the coral. Earlier pics i took did not show it. The coral has lost some tissue over the last couple months which is why i was wondering if the item in question is a parasite. Any help would be great!

 

[jessp]

looks like some sort of sponge

 

[Doni]

All I see is a vermatid snail column. It is a harmless snail that casts webs to catch ditritus.

 

[Cove Beach]

Thanks for the quick replies!

 

[slojmn]

Agree, vermatid snail, harmless. I have a few of them embeded in certain corals. The sps just grow around them with no problem and the snail will send out its threads for food.