Is this a Montipora eating Nudibranch?

[Gyr]

I am trying to figure out what is wrong with one of my M digi corals. My general info request thread isn't getting many responses, and I will be leaving town for the weekend. I am hoping to find out if this one bug-looking thing I was able to find on the coral is a nudibranch. I know it doesn't look like the adult nudi I have seen pictures of, but could it be a larvae? (I don't even know if they have a larval form or not.)

I will throw the coral out before I leave for the weekend if it is a nudi, but I'd hate to give up on it if not necessary.

I am sorry about the quasi-double thread, but I am hoping to get a few opinions before I decide to trash the coral or not.

Thanks

 

[flyyyguy]

doesnt look like it to me......unless the arms somehow arent visible because they are pasted down next to the body becasue its out of the water

 

[Gyr]

doesnt look like it to me......unless the arms somehow arent visible because they are pasted down next to the body because its out of the water

Those are great photos, flyyyguy. Thanks. I spent quite a bit of time examining the coral in water using my fly tying magnifying specs and didn't see a thing. I am able to zoom in on my photo quite a bit on my computer and the resolution is still good enough for me to feel confident that the thing on my coral doesn't have any appendages. Also, in all the photos I've seen on the nudis, the flesh of the coral seems to have been eaten away all the way down to the skeleton, and that hasn't happened on my digi. (the area of exposed skeleton in my photo is where I broke a tip off getting it out of my tank). I am glad it doesn't seem to be a nudi problem. I guess I'll leave it in my tank while I continue to try to figure out what's causing the problem.

Thanks, again.

 

[DocHoliday]

I have something very similar to this in my tank on my Monti. Mine have reproduced and have a dozen or so sheltering on my Monti. However my hitchhiker is completely white. No color at all. I'm gonna post a pic when I can. They are very small and hard to photo in the tank.

 

[flyyyguy]

However my hitchhiker is completely white. No color at all. I'm gonna post a pic when I can. They are very small and hard to photo in the tank.

while these guys in particular do have a little more pigment than most MEN, those above still look pretty much white to your naked eye as well. Put a macro lens on them and jack up the blacks and contrast and you can see more definition

there are also at least three different clusters of eggs in that second pic.

Monti eating nudibranch are pretty easy to spot with the naked eye once you know what you are looking for. The look like a tiny, tiny little wisp of white cotton/torn fabric kinda. The eggs, usually are about impossible to see without mechanical help

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

The eggs are usually on the shaded underside. I've only personally had montipora eating nudis once and thank goodness I have not seen them again in years. Worst pest I have ever had.

Do you have any other montis in your tank? If so, how are they doing? Personally, I don't think it is montipora eating nudis but more information helps.

 

[Gyr]

The eggs are usually on the shaded underside. I've only personally had montipora eating nudis once and thank goodness I have not seen them again in years. Worst pest I have ever had.

Do you have any other montis in your tank? If so, how are they doing? Personally, I don't think it is montipora eating nudis but more information helps.

I have many different monti's in my tank--digi's, caps, setosa, encrusting--none of the others have shown any problems, just the two frags of this one orange digi. It hasn't changed much in the past few weeks. Looks no worse or better. I check it pretty often with magnifying specs, no critters seen. Weird.

 

[Gyr]

I am glad to report that the orange digi is recovering. Both frags of the same coral got 'sick' and have now recovered simulatenously, although they are in different areas of the tank. I suppose there was something about the water this one individual coral reacted badly to, since no other monti's or acropora were affected, but I hae no idea what it was. Regardless, I am happy it wasn't the nudibranch and I am glad the digi is recovering.

Here is a shot of the orange digi when I was afraid I was going to lose it (Jan 2011):

Here is the same frag today. The tissue seems to have recovered, even starting to get a green hue to it again. There are even some new growth tips showing up: