Identification fuzzy green blobs

[Reeferrebecca]

These are growing all over on way live rock, just showed up in the last couple of weeks. Any idea what they are and if I should try to get rid of them? Thanks!

 

[griss]

The picture is a bit fuzzy/out of focus, can you get a bit better picture? What kind of rock do you have? I can't be positive without a better picture but, they might be Majanos or sponges.

 

[Reefing102]

Welcome to RC! Best I can tell they appear to be sponges. Generally harmless filter feeders. As mentioned, a clearer image will definitely help

 

[Timfish]

Sponges is my guess too, very beneficial.

 

[griss]

Welcome to RC! Best I can tell they appear to be sponges. Generally harmless filter feeders. As mentioned, a clearer image will definitely help

Sponges is my guess too, very beneficial.

Now that Shane and Tim say sponges and looking closer (i.e. not on my phone) I would agree sponges. But, a more clear image would help make a positive ID.

 

[Reeferrebecca]

Thank you! Tried to get some better photos

 

[Reeferrebecca]

Zoomed up a bit

 

[T Diddy]

Sponge

 

[griss]

Sponge

Yep, definitely sponges. Nice hitchhikers.

What kind of rock did you use?

 

[Reeferrebecca]

Thank you! Just live rock - have had this live rock for the last 3 years but they just showed up in the last week or so! Happy I don't need to worry about them!

 

[Reefing102]

Thank you! Just live rock - have had this live rock for the last 3 years but they just showed up in the last week or so! Happy I don't need to worry about them!

You probably have a lot more in the shaded areas

 

[Timfish]

Cryptic sponges are essential recyclers in reef systems. Some may tolerate light to some degree. Research done about 15 years ago showed at least some species are able to remove labile DOC 1000X faster than the bacterioplankton that may or may not be removed by skimming. Another discovery that surprised everyone is some species have a mitosis rate (cellular reproduction) of as little as 8 hours (faster than most bacteria) but don't grow. Instead these sponges shed cellular debris at an incredibly fast rate. This cellualr debris turns out to be an essential part of food webs in reef ecosystems.

So the question is, if they have almost certainly been in your system since you added the live rock, what changes have happened to the ecosystem in the last few weeks or months that is providing a more hospitable environment for them to grow out in the open?

 

[griss]

Cryptic sponges are essential recyclers in reef systems. Some may tolerate light to some degree. Research done about 15 years ago showed at least some species are able to remove labile DOC 1000X faster than the bacterioplankton that may or may not be removed by skimming. Another discovery that surprised everyone is some species have a mitosis rate (cellular reproduction) of as little as 8 hours (faster than most bacteria) but don't grow. Instead these sponges shed cellular debris at an incredibly fast rate. This cellualr debris turns out to be an essential part of food webs in reef ecosystems.

So the question is, if they have almost certainly been in your system since you added the live rock, what changes have happened to the ecosystem in the last few weeks or months that is providing a more hospitable environment for them to grow out in the open?

Very well explained and your posts over the years on this have inspired me to (once I do my upgrade) use the fuge part of my sump as a cryptic sponge compartment instead of a fuge.

 

[Timfish]

Thank you @griss! I forgot to give a shout out to Steve Tyree who back in the '90s recognized the importance of cryptic sponges and designed a system around them. It was fascinating in the late 2000s and early 2010s reading the research showing how critical they are to reef ecosystems.