ID help- Red-thing with white arms?

[maxvan1]

Well, yes the glass is messy (I rarly do water changes, or clean the glass on this tank, I would clean it for pictures, but I didnt want to hurt this thing.)

When I first saw it I thought it was a crack (as the NC6 are known to crack) but I saw it was not. Sorry for the black thing, it was the only way I could get my camera to focus on the glass, worked well...

Anyways, do you have any idea what this thing is?

 

[DJ88©]

[moved] I think there are some people here who can give you a hand.

 

[maxvan1]

Thank you.

 

[charlesr1958]

If the sturcture is hard, it looks to be a Foraminiferan.

Chuck

 

[maxvan1]

From the looks of it, it seems soft, I have not touch it yet, and I am not sure if I want to, red things somtimes sting... lol I will touch it when i turn the light back on.

 

[maxvan1]

I just put that in google. Definatly not that, but I do have a few of those.

I am thinking it is some type of sponge/tunicate, but not sure what kind.

 

[LeslieH]

I think chuck is right, it's just not one of the common ones. Those white threads are the pseudopodia or rhizopods the animal uses to feed. I see similar things all the time in my live samples.

 

[maxvan1]

Alright, well it looks pretty cool...

Thank you both,
Max

 

[maxvan1]

Well, it grew quite a bit today. I touched it and it was not hard. It was acually very soft, when I touched it to broke, but there is still some left.

So, can a Foraminiferan be soft also? Or is it possable soft to start, then gets harder?

Edit: Answered my own question "Most foraminiferan shells are calcareous, but some are siliceous, and others are built of sand grains." From http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sci/A0819130.html