What is this?

[Bigvfb12]

Hopefully I am posting this in the right forum if not could a Admin please move to appropriate forum, but what is this?? It is on the back of a shell of a hermit crab, I got a dozen last week from a LFS and noticed it with I dropped into tank but only today when I noticed the crab either died or abandoned his shell did it "open" up. First time posting from Flickr so hope this link works

http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/97248801@N06/

 

[OKDOHK]

Link didn't work for me.

 

[Bigvfb12]

How about this??

 

[alpineroush]

It looks like a barnicle

 

[whiteshark]

Agreed on the barnacle. Really cool actually.

 

[justthewife]

looks like a barnacle to me too.

 

[SEEMAC]

I looked around on Google a bit for pictures and I agree it looks like a Barnacle of some kind. My question would be should you remove it or just leave it?

 

[aydemir]

It is harmless, but will most likely die, it is hard to satisfy their diet.

 

[alpineroush]

They are filter feeders. The little feather tip that comes out. I think it actually is a small shrimp or crab like thing in there