Really Wierd Filter Feeder... ID Please!

[castorpollux]

<center><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a144/allienimy/wierdfilterfeeder.jpg"></a></center>

I discovered this wierd filter feeder last night, its anchored at its root by a foot of some kind, non-calcarus and its not a tubeworm of any kind although it does have an assortment of filter feeder feathers at the end that do not retract inside they close up similar to the tips of xenia.

These colonized a CPR backpak skimmer in a matter of hours and they could have possibly moved from the refugium below the skimmer. just out of curiousity though does anyone know what they are? they remind me of a small sea pen with filter fans. Heres the picture of a couple of them they are about an half inch or more in length.

mike

 

[artful-dodger]

From the pic it appears that there are "branches" all along the stalk--true? From the pic and your description of "feathers" and the rapid colonization I'd guess it is some type of hydroid. Check here and here.

(Some can be harmful to your corals (and you!) because of their small but mighty stings.)

 

[castorpollux]

yep there are "branches" they are more feathery though... they havent gone anywhere else though from what i can see... some one on the advanced forum said they might be q-tip sponges but they dont strike me as a spong of any kind

 

[artful-dodger]

the feathery appearance is exactly why I think they are hydrozoan.

it is possible that they can't go "upstream" from the overflow to the main tank and are getting trapped by a pre-filter going the other way. They were probably introduced (whatever they are) into the main tank to begin with and just found a safe place to attach in the overflow.

Anybody (like maybe a wrasse or butterfly) that might be keeping them under control in the main tank? I'm stabbing in the dark 'cause I've never actually had these...