this guy has a stinger tentacle?

[saturn tech]

looks like this cat has got some stinging tentacles. it is releasing about four long tentacles then quickly reals them in. what is going on? what type of coral is it? i got it yesterday and was told it is a devil's hand.

Here you can see the tentacle extended.

Here it is being all nice and stuff.

 

[Sarcophyton874]

It's probably just shedding. Soft corals do that to rid themselves of algae, detritus, etc.

 

[55semireef]

Not a stinger. Just shedding or mucus.

 

[Jamokie01]

I see what your talking about, the crazy thin strand with the little things dangling from it. Its not slime or shed skin. Thats not actually the coral its a tiny organism living in its flesh, totally harmless. One lives in my starfish's arm, it releases that strand to catch food (plankton or detritus) then retrieves it. And yes the coral is a "Devils Hand" or Lobophytum sp.

 

[saturn tech]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9462941#post9462941 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jamokie01
I see what your talking about, the crazy thin strand with the little things dangling from it. Its not slime or shed skin. Thats not actually the coral its a tiny organism living in its flesh, totally harmless. One lives in my starfish's arm, it releases that strand to catch food (plankton or detritus) then retrieves it. And yes the coral is a "Devils Hand" or Lobophytum sp.

wow, thats wierd. i was sure it was a sweeper tentacle of sorts. i would like more info on this wierdo thing.

 

[jbittner]

It was described to me as a sort of jellyfish. I have tons of them. They have migrated to everyone of my soft corals. They appear to be harmless.

 

[jbittner]

here is a link.

http://www.seaslugforum.net/display.cfm?id=16910

 

[MechEng99]

I agree with jbittner. Looks like a relative of a hydroid type thing to me.

 

[saturn tech]

now should i try to get rid of it? stinging cells are not usually a good thing.

 

[Jamokie01]

Totally harmless

 

[jbittner]

agreed!

 

[jbittner]

Not to mention mostly inside the softie. I don't know how you would ever get it out!