unknown predator

[czieler]

Has anyone ever seen these? I do the website stuff for a coral business..and they got in a batch of zoos that had these on them.

They appear to have one 'spike' stuck into a zoanthid polyp feeding on them... picked them all off..then a few days later found a few more... they have them in QT..but none of us knew what they were...

They are 1-2cm...they are hard..not soft..I can tap on them w/ my fingernail..and they seem the consistency of a shell.

I don't really see them moving at any time...they just appear to be stuck to the zoanthid... I have also seen a few really small ones..almost like babies compared to the others..

 

[Speckled Grouper]

Oh no, that's all we need......another zoa predator.....:eek1:

Never seen anything like that before.

 

[Mr. Ugly]

I've heard about a new predatory starfish in the Solomon Island zoas.

Haven't seen them myself, but your pic and description sounds like them.

 

[czieler]

I'll have to check..I think that is where these came from...but not sure...

 

[Chaotic Reefer4u]

wow thanx for the heads up...

 

[Reef Junkie]

Do you have any pictures of them on the zoas?

Could you submit this photo to Zoaid.com?

Thanks!

 

[czieler]

I sent one last nite to them...

I will ask my business partner to get a photo of them on there if he finds anymore...he picked them all off yesterday... I didn't think to tell him to get photos beforehand... sry.

 

[jessiesgrrl]

Yikes!

Good catch...!


Laurie

 

[terryp01]

Thanks for the picture of the critter.

 

[greenbean36191]

These are Calcarina, a genus of phytosynthetic foraminiferan. They are essentially a large amoeba with a shell. They might cause some irritation, but they are not predators.

 

[javatech]

http://www.digimorph.org/specimens/Calcarina_sp/

 

[czieler]

Been on vacation..just noticed the link to the picture and info on it...Thanks!!