Sea Cucumber ID & advice please (semi-urgent?)

[Coelli]

I have a baby sea cucumber hitchhiker that I first saw a couple of months ago as a tiny green thing that disappeared into the rocks. A few days ago I saw it again; it's about 1.25" now and has been living in the LR and only coming out at night.

Lo and behold, I just found the little guy climbing up the side of the glass despite the lights and without anywhere near it to get back to. He's headed straight up and there's nothing up there but tank rim.

So, three questions:

1. Any idea what kind of cucumber this is and how big it will get?
2. It appears to have a tiny pineapple sponge growing on its head, is that even possible?
3. Do I need to try to get it off the glass and back into the rocks? As soon as I saw it, I overfed my royal gramma in the hopes that he'll leave it alone.

Here are the best pics I was able to get with a magnifying glass and my iPhone. Thanks!

 

[Coelli]

Update! He's back on the rocks!

He was getting way too close to the intake for comfort, so this is me using a credit card blank to try to either get him onto it or divert him back to a downward path:

It took about 5 minutes but eventually it detached and was mostly on the credit card. When I moved the card it started floating around the tank but I quickly hit the feed cycle button on the Apex (Apex saves the day again!) and waved at it until it landed on the rocks. Hopefully it stays there this time.

That was harrowing!

But again... any idea what kind of cucumber this is and how big it will get if it continues to survive? This is the first time I've seen it without a flashlight and it's yellow under the day lights, instead of the lime green I always thought it was. I wonder if the pineapple sponge is irritating it and making it come out into the lights?

 

[Sk8r]

Juveniles are hard to type in many species in the ocean: color changes as they mature. I don't know about cucumbers, and there is some caution due, as they are toxic when they demise violently (but size matters)---I'd put a little plastic needlework canvas shield around that intake. Michaels will have the material. Here's a link to what Live Aquaria has on the type. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?c=497 502&pcatid=502

Neat find!

 

[cloak]

Here's a good article regarding sea cucumbers.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/1/inverts

HTH.

 

[Coelli]

Thanks guys. It was back on the rocks again after lights out and hopefully will stay there. I have plastic canvas from my crafts room and have used it in other places but it'll be tough to attach it to the weirs in the Biocube. Hopefully the cucumber survives the transition to my new tank in a few weeks and we'll see what it grows up into... And with luck it will continue to find enough food in the tank as it grows. I run carbon and keep an obsessive eye on the tank so I'll look for any signs that the cucumber has perished, just in case. It's so small right now that I think (I hope) the chances of it nuking the tank are slim.

 

[gone fishin]

I have a pink cucumber. He found a spot on the rock and has not moved in about 10 months. Mine is a filter feeder. I put in some food for him every couple days. I got a bottle of phyto chrom from DRs F&S.

None of my other critters pay him any attention. Good luck

 

[Coelli]

I can't believe it's been a year since I posted this. Since then I've upgraded tanks.

I have at least 6 of these now! They seem to max out at around 1.25" stretched out. They are not yellow sea cucumbers; I have two of those (bought one and it split several months ago). My little mystery cukes are nocturnal and reclusive and stick to the rocks, only coming out after lights out. They're a greenish yellow, translucent, and their little spikes have black tips. They are detrivores, not filter feeders. I really wish I knew what they were!

 

[gone fishin]

That is cool they are still there. It sounds like the are beneficial for you at least.

 

[Coelli]

That is cool they are still there. It sounds like the are beneficial for you at least.

Yeah, seems like a good sign, and it doesn't seem like they multiply *too* fast. I just have this burning curiosity to know what they are, but Googling has turned up nothing.

 

[gone fishin]

It would be nice to know what they are. I would assume they are adults now and have the adult coloring. By chance have you looked at nudibranch pics.

 

[Coelli]

It would be nice to know what they are. I would assume they are adults now and have the adult coloring. By chance have you looked at nudibranch pics.

I have, but I don't think they're nudibranchs. They have little leg-like suckers rather than a flat bottom and move more like caterpillers. In fact their bodies are very very similar to caterpillers!