Pycnogonid eating a Favia?

[desx2501]

Hi,
about a week or two ago, I saw something on my favia, but since that favia is my first and I just bought, I didn't know it wasn't normal. It just looked like something blocking one of the "mouths". Yesterday, I saw the thing moved. I figured it wasn't good. I remove it. After that, I saw what it has done to the favia and I think I did good to remove it. It looks like a predatory pycnogonid to me (IDed with Melev's Reef Id.)

Here are a picture of the pest, and one of the coral. Anyone care to comment, or to suggest me a course of action?

 

[Sheol]

Do you think there are any more of them? If its a single hitchhiker, you got it. Unless they are in your LR or in the Favia skeleton, you might not have to do anything more.
The Favia will heal, in time.

Matthew

 

[T Diddy]

looks like its got a black eye :lol2:

 

[desx2501]

I think it was a solo warrior. He forgot to watch it's supply line and ended up being taken out by the enemy sniper!

If I see more of these, I'll cry, then put my coral in quarantine.