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

[pagojoe]

Thoughts on this little snail? Very small, dark shell - kind of whelk-ish. Apologies for the photo quality - this guy is small and rarely near the glass.

Thanks in advance!

It's a miter, probably either Mitra aurantia nanus or, more likely, a juvenile Mitra coronata. It should eat tiny worms.

http://www.gastropods.com/9/Shell_9359.shtml
http://www.gastropods.com/0/Shell_1120.shtml

Cheers,



Don

 

[G_Sanab922]

Need an ID on this little guy. It used to be smaller but has grown enough now to where I can get a clear pic. Good or bad? Please quote me if necessary.

Thanks

 

[pagojoe]

Need an ID on this little guy. It used to be smaller but has grown enough now to where I can get a clear pic. Good or bad? Please quote me if necessary.

Thanks

 

[pagojoe]

Well, he's going to grow up to eat snails, most likely. It's a juvenile Gemophos, a kind of whelk.

Cheers,



Don

 

[G_Sanab922]

Well, he's going to grow up to eat snails, most likely. It's a juvenile Gemophos, a kind of whelk.

Cheers,



Don

I had a feeling it was this. Thanks for helping out Don!

Have a good day

 

[seahorsedreams]

Found a few (more) of these red/black ones in my QT... and 2 of these thinner/longer brown ones (first time seeing them).
Thanks for the help!
Andrew

The longer one is a Syllidae - a Syllid Worm.

 

[QuiGonJay]

Thoughts on this tiny (about 3 mm) crab? He has very long shrimp like antennae. Live rock from gulf area.

 

[QuiGonJay]

Cloak - here is a better shot of the small snail. I have seen two so far. Still think it looks kinda whelkish. Not on sand bed at all, always on live rock. Thx

 

[liverock]

Thoughts on this tiny (about 3 mm) crab? He has very long shrimp like antennae. Live rock from gulf area.

Porcelain crab....

 

[BklynNewbie]

Anyone know what this is in the sand?? It seems to retract at times...

 

[adnedarn]

The longer one is a Syllidae - a Syllid Worm.

Soooooooooooooooo, I shouldn't have added them to my DT or it's still fine?

 

[hogfanreefer]

Cloak - here is a better shot of the small snail. I have seen two so far. Still think it looks kinda whelkish. Not on sand bed at all, always on live rock. Thx

If it looks like a nassarius and spends all it's time on the rock work instead of the sand, I assume it's a whelk and remove it.

BklynNewbie, that's an aiptasia, pest anemone. Best to get rid of those ASAP. I use AiptasiaX but there are several different methods if you do a search.

 

[QuiGonJay]

Thanks Cloak (hereafter known as the Live Rock ID Jedi Master!) - that's what I was thinking - thanks for confirming.

 

[seahorsedreams]

Soooooooooooooooo, I shouldn't have added them to my DT or it's still fine?

I wouldn't go hunting for it, but if he became visible again, I would remove it. All fauna is important, so even if you can't see anything it's eating and it doesn't change the look of anything, it's still reducing biodiversity.

 

[BklynNewbie]

BklynNewbie, that's an aiptasia, pest anemone. Best to get rid of those ASAP. I use AiptasiaX but there are several different methods if you do a search.

Thanks! I went with using boiling water, i saw a few different methods online and figured this was the quickest for me to do. I saw only 2 and squirted both of them. I'm going to order some AiptasiaX tomorrow to have on hand but hoping they are gone now. They were quite small but I'll definitely keep an eye out. Everything I've read was these things are a real pain

 

[Staisman]

Bristleworm ? Found it in my chaeto in the fuge, should I leave him there or remove it?

 

[cloak]

Yep, bristleworm. You can go ahead and put it back in the refuge or the DT if you want.

 

[vadajo]

Anybody know what this is? Its on the glass and the size of a pin head.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Anybody know what this is? Its on the glass and the size of a pin head.

Hydroid jelly. They disappear over time.

 

[vadajo]

Woah, that's cool. Thank you.