Please Help Identify [VID]

AIX

New member
Hi guys,
Our tank just started cycling a few days ago, and we've noticed this thing coming out of our live rock (we have a mix of tonga and figi). Not sure what it is, looks like some kind of worm...any ideas?

http://metalhordes.com/misc/whatisit.wmv

also...we noticed alot of small aphid like things crawling around our rock...too small to get a picture of. Anyone know what these are?

Thanks
 
Im not sure, but my first guess would be some sort of sponge. As far as the aphid things, they are probably just pods (a good thing)
 
Thanks for the welcome, I also failed to mention that this "thing" stretches and retracts depending on lighting conditions, do sponges do these things? I hope this helps.
 
Looks a little like what is often called a snake polyp. Hard to say for sure though. Also, I'd suggest going through and ripping the stick looking things off the rocks as well as anything that resembles a sponge or algae.
 
Its a tip of a peanut worm. The large part of the worm lives in a burrow inside the rock. It will retract if you disturb it.

sipuncstitched.jpg


http://www.beachwatchers.wsu.edu/ezidweb/animals/Sipunculids.htm

These rock burrowing worms create pockets of of water inside the rock which facilitate beneficial denitrifying bacteria colonies.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Aquabucket, that is exactly what it looks like! This morning it was no longer in its hole in the rock, I found it half way across the tank in the sand next to another rock.
Thanks for all the info guys!
 
deffinitly a peanut worm. very interesting creatures. great detrius eaters, great for the tank. the reason it moved is proably becuse he kept getting hit in the head with that stick LOL.
 
Back
Top