What are these things?

[damitchsta]

We just noticed these small things attatched to our live rock, we are unsure what they are they have like 6 litte feathery arms white with red spots and they appear to be feeding the hole that is in the center of them. They stick the whole " arm " in their mouth and pull it back out wave it around a while and stick another " arm" in the mouth and this is all that they do. Anyone know what these things are?

 

[thor32766]

sounds like anemone

 

[damitchsta]

The arms appear to look more like the sea apples arms (reall feathry like) but they don't have the big thing attatched underneath them, they are attatched to the rock.

 

[cschweitzer]

Maybe a feather duster? Need a pic to properly identify. Do a search for hitchiker's ID or maybe wetwebmedia can help you. If you get a couple good pics, I'm sure someone will be able to chime in.

 

[Me No Nemo]

Probably star fish...tiny serpent stars that live under the rock and put their legs out to grab food. I have about a hundred in my tank. HTH, Marcye
PS...both of your "babies" ate tonight and look much better.

 

[damitchsta]

Thanks so Much Marcye for taking care of them!! It means alot to us as these where are first fish. These things that are on the rock sucked in real fast when we put the net near them.

 

[cschweitzer]

http://www.melevsreef.com/id/

Check this page out...might find it here

 

[Me No Nemo]

No problem...glad they are doing better and that I could help.

 

[Sk8r]

could be small barnacles, if there's a fan-like radar dish action.

 

[fvandijk]

There are also sea cucumbers that do this- see Humann & Deloach's Reef Creature Identification Book, p.397, Hidden Sea Cucumber (Pseudothyone belli). They are essentially buried in the rock and only the tentacles are exposed and slowly filter debris from the water. I've got a few of those (I think) on/in my rock (aquacultured Gulf rock).

 

[jenlovesty]

sounds like a sea cucumber to me.

 

[Me No Nemo]

Maybe a feather star. They sometimes come in as hitchhikers as well.