ID this Tube thing...

[CoMMaNdeR]

On a piece of Live rock recently added to my tank, there is a tube, similar to the tube worms ones but the creature inside the tube is not a worm.

Its colour is violet or dark redish, never comes out but I can see a part of its' head. Like you can see in the picture it always produce that thing out of the tube, that I think it is its watse.

The creature inside looks like a slug, at least a part of its head because I never saw it all because never went out.

Does anyone here knows what is this thing ?
Should I worry ?

 

[Paintbug]

vermetid snail. harmless but they will start poping up everywhere. so if they become unsightly, you may want to remove them by hand. they are good filter feeders.

http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_net/0897/0897_8.html

 

[CoMMaNdeR]

Thanks Paintbug. Definately the same creature.

So this thing is some kind of a snail that lives in a tube. If I want I cannot remove him by hand because he is always inside the tube. lol

 

[Paintbug]

yep, a snail that doesnt move. you have to pluck the entire creature off the rock or just smash the tube.

 

[CoMMaNdeR]

I will leave it there if it doesn't harm any thing.

The only thing that is making me nervous is seeing all the time waste long thing coming out of the tube...

 

[Paintbug]

it wont hurt anything. if its close to a coral sometimes the web will bother the coral. kind of like someone poking you, no real harm just aggravating.

 

[fishman805]

The "waste long thing" coming out of the snails tube is it's way of catching food.... It's like a slime thread that it extends .. food catches on it and then it draws it back in and feeds.... Kinda neat in a way... They will turn up everywhere though... trust me ... I've now got thousands of them in my 150gal tank... From time to time, I have to move my clam when I'm doing tank maint. and those calcium tubes are dangerous when you rake your hand by them.....lol


Bob

 

[Nabber86]

We have one really big one on a piece of live rock right up in the front part of the tank. We pretty much just let him be and the thing has grown huge over that last 18 months. I havent seen any others pop up, so I am not too concerned.

Can they reproduce asexually?

 

[CoMMaNdeR]

Mine is big too. Thanks for the info guys, at least I know what is that slime waste thing.. wow very inteligent creature though...lol

Mine tube is about 2" long and the diamatre of the tube is about 0.75 of an inch"

Thanks..

 

[Paintbug]

they can get huge in the wild. but it takes many years to get there.