What. The. %#@&. Is. This?

[GhostCon1]

Pink thing with white "bulbs" around it.

The pics themselves are gigantic, if you want a full size pic right click image, go to properties, copy the PB link into address bar and remove the "th_" part.

Thanks in advance.

Best pic of it, IMO, full size: http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y175/ghostcon1/Aquarium/Picture006.jpg

 

[mndfreeze]

I swear that thing looks like some sort of small encrusting coral and those are little polyps building outward and you are seeing the white 'lip' of it where its either pulled back or growing but hasnt moved into the skeleton structure yet. Does this thing move or anything? Does it seem to grow outward like a coral does?

 

[GhostCon1]

Here's the odd part of that, there is a dark spot near where it is right now, that has almost the same shape (visible in pictures). It also has very, very tiny leg like things (forget the name of them exactly). I think it has moved maybe 1mm.

 

[GhostCon1]

Bumping with a not giant pic.

 

[LeslieH]

Nothing to worry about. It's a colonial tunicate or sea squirt. The colony consists of multiple small animals that share a outer covering & water circulation system. They are filter feeders that suck in dirty water, remove the particulates, & release clean (or cleaner) water.

 

[mndfreeze]

Can you poke it or prod it to make it move a bit? Legs and what not make it kind of odd..

 

[GhostCon1]

If it's a sea squirt or tunicate I don't want to poke him , I will try to get better pics. By legs, I mean the things you see on unicellular animals, I want to say they are called flagella? They use them to swim around.

Anyway, that is cool as hell that I have a tunicate or sea squirt! I wonder where he's been the past few months, not burrowed into that dark spot maybe?

EDIT: Just looked at it with a flash light, the top part actually closed up! The dark spots on it are the ... I can't remember the name, but it's what tridacna sp. have. I want to say a valve. Also, it is a very, very light pink because it's translucent!

 

[LeslieH]

Probably just slowly growing, section by section. Do an image search on Botrylloides for some similar animals.

In a colonial tunicate there are multiple small incurrent siphons & a couple big outcurrent siphons. They can open & close them fairly rapidly which is one way to distinguish them from sponges. Sponges are primitive while tunicates are actually close relatives to vertebrates. As larvae they have what's called a notochord which is a precursor to a backbone. they lose it as they develop.

 

[reeferoo]

+1 tunicate

I had some awesome "halloween" colored ones once, but my snails went nuts on them and they were gone in a matter of days

 

[GhostCon1]

Just wanted to say thanks again, Leslie!

Also, I think you're the one that told me about some other type of worm thing about a month ago

 

[mndfreeze]

Now you are obligated sir to send otu frags to all who helped in the thread! teeeheee!

Man, I love the microlife and wierd stuff way more then fish. I wish there was more infomration in general about how non-fish count in the bioload guestimates. I have lots of little porcelain crabs and pom po's and hermits, etc...

 

[GhostCon1]

I don't think you can frag a tunicate