Pix & ID: Critters that come in your rocks: the good and the bad.

I will try and get a better pic and post it. It does have a stalk and pulls in when agitated like a aiptasia but the bubble tips had me second guessing that.
 
Snail eating Polyclad Flatworm caught in the act! This dude (or maybe another one :/) has been in my reef for 8 months. I have tried to catch him before but he kept eluding me into the rocks. Turned on the lights tonight in the middle of the night and he was half-way through one of my turbos. Caught him with my bare hands :lol2:

 
I will try and get a better pic and post it. It does have a stalk and pulls in when agitated like a aiptasia but the bubble tips had me second guessing that.

It looks kind of like a majano anemone to me.

Agreed. Pest anemone, you'll want to inject it with some kalk slurry or a commercially available aitasia killer.

Snail eating Polyclad Flatworm caught in the act! This dude (or maybe another one :/) has been in my reef for 8 months. I have tried to catch him before but he kept eluding me into the rocks. Turned on the lights tonight in the middle of the night and he was half-way through one of my turbos. Caught him with my bare hands :lol2:


Nice!! I love the obligatory kitteh shot. :lol:
 
hello guys... I bought A nice piece of LR the other day, and need some help ID'ing a couple of things attached to it...

first any idea what this is? A sponge? I've seen it move a couple of times.. usually the whole rock its attached to jerks back in forth for a second...

EcDqQs1.jpg


and second.. there's a bunch of this Orange stuff on one side of it...

Mhccy7m.jpg


thx..
 
Ive got LR that looks identical. Im not sure about the first picture. I have the same thing on the side of a mullusk on mine except its bright red. The second looks like what my LFS said to me was a orange corraline algae.
 

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1st pic is a mollusc of some sort, that's what's moving. Sponge and/or algae on or next to it. 2nd pic is likely sponge.
 
I've noticed a few of these in my tank lately, some sort of welks, I think. They're very small, the largest one about 0.5cm long. Good guy or bad?

DSC_9107.jpg
 
Strombus snail unless I am wrong. They lay little egg sacs on the glass. I have one in front of me with 10 eggs in it. (though you have to have really good eyes to be able to count). They have no planktonic stage. They breed well in aquaria and are reef-safe. There are many kinds of strombus...the little mini ones seem to breed well. I don't know about others.....I have heard the little ones called dove snails, strombus, etc. Maybe someone can give you the species though.
 
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I've noticed a few of these in my tank lately, some sort of welks, I think. They're very small, the largest one about 0.5cm long. Good guy or bad?

DSC_9107.jpg

If you haven't already, try posting that picture in the Other Invertebrates forum. There's a few members there that are VERY good a positive Id's. (snails in particular)
 
If you haven't already, try posting that picture in the Other Invertebrates forum. There's a few members there that are VERY good a positive Id's. (snails in particular)

Thanks, will do. I think ReeferKimberly is correct with strombus, but confirmation is always good.
 
I've noticed a few of these in my tank lately, some sort of welks, I think. They're very small, the largest one about 0.5cm long. Good guy or bad?

DSC_9107.jpg


Looks like a whelk. I had some in my tank, they ate a few hitchhiker clams, a few snails and a hermit.

Edit: Definitely not a Strombus. My best guess would be something from the Gemophos geuns (possibly G. tinctus).
 
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If you haven't already, try posting that picture in the Other Invertebrates forum. There's a few members there that are VERY good a positive Id's. (snails in particular)

Someone was able to ID it there as a juvenile Pollia undosa, a true whelk that preys on other snails. So, not a good guy. :uhoh2:
 
Thanks for the update! Most of the predatory snails I see come from the Caribbean, didn't even think about the pacific species.

Protip: With strombus, you can usually see the eyes (on stalks) on either side of the snout. There will also be a notch on the side of the spihon canal through which an eye can protrude.

The more you know.
 
What about these.
Second picture is some type of button? The last picture is a open brain but it has a mollusk and a dead coral beside it. But my question is, what should I do to help it with some room. Its tightly in there.
 

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Phew, glad I added that 'unless I was wrong'! Thanks for the proper i.d.! They look exactly like strombus I have, like 99% but yeah I see the difference between the eyes now :)

Anywho, looks who I just found roaming. Shiver....this guy is huge and creepin me out! Beneficial or not, stay in the sand please :D

:eek:
 
What about these.
Second picture is some type of button? The last picture is a open brain but it has a mollusk and a dead coral beside it. But my question is, what should I do to help it with some room. Its tightly in there.

First is Phyllangia americanan...hidden cup coral. Second is some kind of macroalgae. Third, not sure. Fourth, more hidden cup coral. Last, not much you can do about that. The coral will grow where it wants.

Anywho, looks who I just found roaming. Shiver....this guy is huge and creepin me out! Beneficial or not, stay in the sand please :D

:eek:

Terebellid worm. Highly beneficial. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-06/rs/
 
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