Unknown organsims

[chris4693]

Ok, started feeding DT's about 3 weeks ago and I have stuff I have never noticed before.

My camera is no help on stuff this small so I will just have to explain.

First one is about 2 millimeters or smaller, looks like a very small arrowhead, but not so pointy. Looks kinda like a very small snail(without the shell) or Nudi or something. I cannot see any of these on the nearby corals. Could be a flat worm, but again, there is none of these critters on the very near by corals.

The other one is very difficult to see, smaller then a millimeter. So small all I can say is it looks round. The one thing that is destinguishing about them is they move relativaly fast for their size. Seems like they move about the glass like a small Mysis moves about the rock work. Was thinking these could be some sort of pod but again I am unsure and without being able to get a detailed picture this is the best I can do.

 

[papagimp]

Does the arrowheaded thingy look like this?

 

[papagimp]

as for the pod thingy, anything like one of these?

 

[chris4693]

Arrow head, Yes that is what it looks like.

Other ones are to small to tell.

 

[papagimp]

The arrow head is a flat worm, some kind of planaria I think is what I was told. I have these all over my sump, there not the dreaded "red flatworm" but I don't know the exact color and make of the ones you have. Mine seem harmless.

The other thing is an amphipod, grammarus shrimp. The little ones are very hard to see but the adults get 5+mm in length. It was just a shot in the dark, these guys are lighting fast when they wanna be.

 

[captbunzo]

Just to reinforce, the above flatworms are NOT bad. In fact, most flatworms that we encounter in our tanks are not bad......

 

[chris4693]

Good that is what I have, do they do any good?

 

[captbunzo]

In as much any random component of the ecosystem does....

Then YES. I have not heard any SPECIFIC benefits of these, but I am sure they round out the ecosystem. Either they eat something or something eats them, etc. Sort of like our phyto presentation at the meeting.

 

[papagimp]

I've seen my mandarin and my six-line taste these guys before, don't know if there eating them on a regular basis or not. They stay in my fuge mostly, I rarely see them in the display. And seeing how they tend to accumulate on the glass more than anywhere else, I'm assuming something in my tank is snacking on them. (the flatworms, not the amphipods)

 

[OUBrook]

I had a huge outbreak of these flatworms in my seahorse tank that scared me pretty good. They were all over the glass. I didn't know what to do (or even what they were at the time), but after a week or so they went away... They were white. But I did give Chris (cmc0814) something out of my tank, and in the bottom of the cup was a maroon one.. I'm guessing this is bad news then, right? I've only seen the one.

But where there is one....

 

[captbunzo]

Well, not necessarily bad news. Most flatworms that are in our tanks are harmless. There is a red one, called Planularia or something (sorry, no link, me lazy, look it up out there) that is not predatory or anything, but can reproduce fast enough to literally cover things up in your tank. This is not a guarantee, however. And then there is the dreaded AEFW - Acropora Eating Flatworm. Again, a rarity.

Of course, we do need to be cautious about all such things.

You know, it'd be nice to have an area of the website dedicated to such things.... Hmmnn.... Anyone want to volunteer for such a project? I'd like to see pages that talk about many of the common reef parasites AND their look alikes (the good flatworms, for example).

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Don't forget Polyclad Flatworms. These guys get huge and eat tons.

You can read more about them here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=692774

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=5964128#post5964128 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rshimek
Hi Brian,

Yup, as Mike has pointed out it is a polyclad flatworm.

To clear up some confusion... the old taxonomic grouping called the "Phylum Platyhelminthes" is no longer considered to be a valid group. Examination of the fine structure of the animals in it, coupled with analyses of the genetic material, indicates that it was a "false" grouping, one made on gross structural appearance. Unfortunately, not all things that look alike are related (sorta like sharks, porpoises, and tuna all have the same general shape, but are only very distantly related).

The so-called "red planaria" not only are not planarians, but now are recognized as being members of an entirely separate group, given the name the Acoela or Acoelomorpha. Planarians - and polyclads such as the animal illustrated in the first post of this thread - are in the group that used to be called the "Class Turbellaria" of the Phylum Platyhelminthes. Calling them "Turbellarians" (a group now including actual planarians, polyclads, and several other meaty free-living (mostly) flatworms) is probably the best way to go. I suspect the nomenclature of the group will shake out over the next few years as more work is done on the internal inter-relationships within it.

 

[pwhitby]

I had one of those big guys once on a rock...it was HUGE easily 3-4 inches. It was just really freaky the way it flowed in and out of holes.

It didnt make it through curing though......which was probably a good thing.

paul.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Here are some pictures that I found in a google search for "Acoela". Click the pictures to link to the page they are located on. FWIW, I hope that you can read German and French.

 

[papagimp]

That poor poor bubble, I hope mine never gets like that.

 

[OUBrook]

So basically don't worry about the white ones and if I see another red one, let it meet the potty? Perhaps it wouldn't do any harm. But then again, there doesn't appear to be vast knowledge of them doing good either... So if I find another red guy, he can take one for the team. It's a cruel world out there..

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Don't sweat the white ones, watch the red ones, and get out anything that isn't white or red

 

[papagimp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8553438#post8553438 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Travis L. Stevens
Don't sweat the white ones, watch the red ones, and get out anything that isn't white or red

but what if their pretty?

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

If you want to keep the pretty ones and lose some other livestock, that's your choice

 

[papagimp]

lol, ya know had you guys told me the blue stometella was bad, I would've found somewhere i could have kept him, pretty goes a long way towards jess staying off my back bout the tanks. =o)