Red Ispod

[mollymonticello]

I bought a Zoanthus frag today, and there were tons of mysis shrimps, Limpets, Tunicates, and THESE on it.



I have read about Ispods doing everything from eating algae to burrowing into the meat of a person's hand. I hope someone knows which of those activities this one prefers...

btw, it is more red than shows up in the photo.

 

[mollymonticello]

By the way, it is about 3 mm long and curls, but does not roll into a ball.

 

[LeslieH]

Harmless sphaeromatid. Not all of them can curl into complete balls, often it's more like a tight U. It's a grazer.

 

[mollymonticello]

Thank you again, Leslie! You're right, I think it is just a harmless Sphaeromatid grazer. I did some "tests" on it. I put it in a little specimen container and put in some algae, a feeder shrimp, and a dead feeder shrimp. When this little Isopod reached for the algae, I knew it was for me...

 

[iamwhatiam52]

mollymonticello,

Raise 'em and sell 'em!

Most of us will buy ANYTHING if you just tell us it eats algae!