Pix & ID: Critters that come in your rocks: the good and the bad.

[Sugar Magnolia]

It's kind of blurry but I was thinking digitate hydroid sinenomine.

[SushiGirl]

Oceanic, I don't see a pic or anything.
Sine, looks like you have a several digitate hydroids.

[SushiGirl]

Oops, didn't see there was a page 57 LOL.

[sinenomine]

Originally Posted by Sugar Magnolia

It's kind of blurry but I was thinking digitate hydroid sinenomine.

Originally Posted by SushiGirl

Oceanic, I don't see a pic or anything.
Sine, looks like you have a several digitate hydroids.

and there you have it folks. let the research begin! Thank you.

[Spyderturbo007]

Can someone ID this snail for me? I've only seen it two times in the last 3 months, but I know I never bought him so he must have come with the live rock. I just want to make sure he isn't harmful.

He's probably about 3/4" long and doesn't seem to have a shell like a traditional snail.

[nanoreef heaven]

Stomatella

*Sent from my little corner of the reef. Nano nano!*

[Spyderturbo007]

Originally Posted by nanoreef heaven

Stomatella

*Sent from my little corner of the reef. Nano nano!*

Thank you very much.

[marcusbacus]

I think I haven't seen this one here. It came with a piece of live rock, the rock is here for about 10 days or so but I only saw this today. It has 2 different patterns, one seems to be more pink-ish (to the left) and the other is black/white/grey. I'm not sure if they move... didn't try to poke them

A closer pic:



A little zoomed out:

[nanoreef heaven]

Maybe Tunicates?
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...catid=1696&N=0

*Sent from my little corner of the reef. Nano nano!*

[cloak]

Originally Posted by marcusbacus

I think I haven't seen this one here. It came with a piece of live rock, the rock is here for about 10 days or so but I only saw this today. It has 2 different patterns, one seems to be more pink-ish (to the left) and the other is black/white/grey. I'm not sure if they move... didn't try to poke them

A closer pic:



A little zoomed out:

My guess would be tunicates of some sort as well. (harmless)

[marcusbacus]

Thanks, yes it looks like that but not as rounded yet like in the blue one pic. In the small hole where they "came from" there's a little more of that.

[Mstark11]

I have little, pink, oblong discs that are flat, and sort of have rings like a tree, maybe pea sized. Tried scraping it off the sides, couldn't do it. Beginnings of Coralline?

[SushiGirl]

Could be, but a pic would help.

[Mstark11]

I tried with both cameras and I couldn't get anything closer without a big blur. But they're a bright pink color

[Mstark11]

Sorry, the images weren't resizing. Hopefully these work.

Edit: Nope. So here's a link
http://i45.*******.com/1zn4i2g.jpg
http://i47.*******.com/urg4h.jpg
http://i49.*******.com/2100y9g.jpg

[Shorty Harris]

I've seen this thing a couple times now. It's about a half inch long with curly frond-like appendages on the length of its body. This is a super macro photo. What is it and is it reef-safe? Thanks.

[dedvalson]

Hi all,

I sure would appreciate any input on what this guy is. He is very fast and comes zipping out of one hole and into another so fast I can hardly see him. He is a bit over an inch long and I managed to grab these pictures of him when he held still for half a second.

I am thinking Mantis Shrimp, and I do hear clicking on occasion, but I didn't think they could move that past. It is so flexible, it almost looks like a worm, but it seems to have a hard shell.

I am going to keep trying for a better picture, but man is he fast.

20121015_201255_2.jpg

20121020_172346.jpg

20121020_172410.jpg

[sinenomine]

Originally Posted by dedvalson

Hi all,

I sure would appreciate any input on what this guy is. He is very fast and comes zipping out of one hole and into another so fast I can hardly see him. He is a bit over an inch long and I managed to grab these pictures of him when he held still for half a second.

I am thinking Mantis Shrimp, and I do hear clicking on occasion, but I didn't think they could move that past. It is so flexible, it almost looks like a worm, but it seems to have a hard shell.

I am going to keep trying for a better picture, but man is he fast.

Attachment 208536

Attachment 208537

Attachment 208538

Mantis shrimp

[dedvalson]

Originally Posted by sinenomine

Mantis shrimp

That was kind of what I thought too, I just didn't realize they were that fast

Assuming it is a Mantis shrimp, how big does it need to be to be a danger to fish?

Thanks,

Don

[Cymonous]

Can anyone tell me what this is? It is pink.

[Sugar Magnolia]

It's a chiton. The majority of them are harmless grazers. Nothing to worry about.

[SushiGirl]

MStark, probably coralline.
Shorty, hard to tell, try looking here.

[Killgore]

The good the bad and the ugly often come on rocks and here's a couple of them... these are a couple decorator crabs that I have... they are having a field day with a couple of my zoa frags and xenia.. I am hoping that they will stop when their shells are completely covered... I'm hoping anyhow...

This guy had a field day with my yellow polyp frag... took everyone of them except for one... Grrrr!


This is the same guy from above... he's a greedy sob... now he's pillaging my new zoa frag... *sigh*


Another crab of sorts... not sure if he's a decorator, but he does glue rocks and stuff to himself... mainly stays in the substrate, but on occasion he does come out...


An orange decorator... I think they are some type of sponge crab if I'm not mistaken... he's got some zoa's that came on a sponge that I had... those little yellow ones... he's also got a couple pieces of xenia that he's stolen off my frag...


Well, hope you like the pics... I guess I could pull these guys, but they aren't really killing anything. They are wreaking havoc on my frags, but I'm assuming as soon as they've filled up their shells they should stop? It's annoying and wonderful at the same time... being able to observe their natural behavior for camouflage. I actually can't wait for the one that has the yellow polyps and zoas to open up... he should be spectacular when they adjust and open.

[SushiGirl]

When they molt, they'll go back for more of your frags rather than pull what they have off their old molts. I've had ones exactly like both your first and your last pics.

[Killgore]

Well I've watched the orange one... and every time he molts he sit's there picking off the old pieces and put's them on his new shell... not sure of the other guy...