Possible New Pest

[KafudaFish]

Bean,
Do you still have the photographs from your issue?

If they are scooting along they are either pushing water or using an appendage to propel themselves like a rower.

One of the big things is many larvae look nothing like the adults and whatever taxon they belong to there are probably a handful of researchers if they belong to one of the lesser groups.

Did they reflect light as if they had an exoskeleton?

 

[BeanAnimal]

Bean,
Do you still have the photographs from your issue?

I was unable to get quality photographs (no macro) though I did examine them under some 10X loupes and through a rather old and decrepit microscope. There was really no visible features or skeleton. The only photos I have are linked back on page 1.

If they are scooting along they are either pushing water or using an appendage to propel themselves like a rower.

Hard to tell which one, and as I mentioned they also were able to swim rather well so they certainly had some type of propulsion or appendage.

One of the big things is many larvae look nothing like the adults and whatever taxon they belong to there are probably a handful of researchers if they belong to one of the lesser groups.

I never really thought of larvae! That certainly does make sense and could also explain why they would predate on their host or irritate it.

Did they reflect light as if they had an exoskeleton?

Not that I could tell. I know have a fairly high power stereo scope, but no little bugs

 

[thebanker]

Maybe a very small nudibranch?

 

[gon08]

I was the original poster and my tank is 100% sps with the exception of a small leather and a couple LPS. I had an outbreak of free swimming anemones which pretty much took over the tank and after battling the anemones for about a year these creatures showed up completely eating the anemones. They also ate ALL the pocillopora and stylophora in the tank. The corals were healthy and growing. I know the difference between predation and scavenging and they were predators. I had given samples to a friend who is a marine biologist but by the time she was able to get them to her lab they were dead. They don't survive very long without a food source.

 

[KafudaFish]

I went digging through textbooks but my invert. zoo textbooks and my marine invert. lab drawings are MIA. Nothing like drawing hundreds of specimens while drinking beer until the early morning hours.

I was hoping to flip through them and maybe get lucky.

I remember the start of this for some reason and I am still interested in them. Maybe someone in the other inverts forum would have a clue.

It is too bad this isn't a current issue (though I know you guys don't want that) so we could preserve them or possibly get them under a scope.

Good luck.

 

[KafudaFish]

http://links.baruch.sc.edu/ResearchFacDir.html

It is the Belle W. Baruch Institue on marine research in South Carolina.

There is a directory that may provide a source to answer the question.

Dr. Coull focuses on copepods but he has been doing this for as long as PaulB has had a tank. He was very helpful when I asked him some questions on meiofauna years ago on my research.

Others I would email would be R. Fox at Lander College and EE Ruppert at Clemson.

Hope this helps.

 

[KeithP]

It would be cool to name a newly identified species. Would you name it after your screen name or maybe an ex or hated boss since it is a pest.