Help to identify small tentacles!

Salt Convert · 04/25/2009, 09:45 AM

I am new to this hobby and have a 30gal nano reef tank... I have noticed a small area on some live rock that seems to have sprouted small tentacles after about 2 months. Tentacles are way too small for my poor camera to capture, but are in clusters about 1/16 inch across, are transparent, and have whitish bulbs on the ends of tentacles. They seem to retract during the daylight hours, but become more visible during dusk/dawn lighting. One area that is a little more out-in-the-open seems to also have a peach-ish pink bud anchored to the rock that the tentacles may or may not come out of. Sorry so vague! Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Gooch79 · 04/25/2009, 09:54 AM

See if it's anything linked/talked about in this thread

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1625815

A few people suggested things that sound like what you're describing.

Tylt33 · 04/25/2009, 10:22 AM

Brittle star.

Sisterlimonpot · 04/25/2009, 10:23 AM

Let Me Officially

You To Reef Central

at first I was thinking brittle stars but the bulbs on the end I would suggest majano anemones or aptaisia

Salt Convert · 04/25/2009, 12:11 PM

Thanks for your suggestions... so far I've searched google images for everything suggested, and nothing matches... I have several aptasias and the mystery creatures are smaller with no trunk-like part, just tentacles. I wish it were a brittle star, but these tentacles have white-ish bulbs on the end, and I can't find a pic of a brittle start that is close. The only thing I can find that is anywhere close to what these guys look like are the tentacles of some of the sea anemones that are white-ish, but the ones in my tank are really small (length of tentacles are probably 1/16th of an inch or shorter). Could an anemone survive the curing process on live rock?

Sisterlimonpot · 04/25/2009, 12:23 PM

yes. but it sounds like it is something you don't want in your tank. can you get a good picture of it?

Sisterlimonpot · 04/25/2009, 12:25 PM

have you googled majano anemones. they come in many different shades so don't pay much attention to that.

Postal · 04/25/2009, 12:53 PM

I'm willing to bet they are cup corals. Perfectly harmless hitchhikers.
Try googling a pic to see if they match.

mattypw · 04/25/2009, 01:35 PM

I can't tell you what it is, but if it is an anenome, Aiptasia x works wonders

Salt Convert · 04/25/2009, 02:20 PM

AH! Cup corals! Yes! I searched google images and this is the closest thing so far to what I see! More specifically, the golden cup corals that are featured at this web site:

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=1812560&size=lg

This is the closest I'll get to posting a pic, as my camera won't even come close to capturing them.

Thanks a million! You say they're harmless?

Chris W.89 · 04/25/2009, 08:52 PM

I've got something very similar in my tank to what you descirbed above. I did some research (afraid of aptaisia or manjano) and found almost a perfect match. I've ID'd the poylps in my tank as a spieces from the genus Pseudocorynactis. They are noctural, have transparent bodies with tenticles that end in little colored spheres (although sometimes white) that contain nematocysts.

Chris W.89 · 04/25/2009, 08:56 PM

Sorry for the double post here, but I'm pretty sure that the species name is P. caribbeorum. Just google it and see if this is what you have.

Salt Convert · 04/26/2009, 07:28 AM

This is even closer than the cup corals... if I could get a closer look at them, I could be sure, but they've positioned themselves in such an odd place on a piece of rock they're hard to get a good look at. However, they do seem to be nocturnal, the tentacles are spot-on, and the colors are right too. I think you've solved it. Thank you! So what I saw on google seems to disagree- are Pseudocorynactis good or bad?

Chris W.89 · 04/26/2009, 04:38 PM

Here's a link dicussing varius corallimorphs including Psuedocorynactis.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...002/invert.htm

Hope this helps.

04/25/2009, 09:45 AM	#1
Salt Convert Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dallas Posts: 38	Help to identify small tentacles! I am new to this hobby and have a 30gal nano reef tank... I have noticed a small area on some live rock that seems to have sprouted small tentacles after about 2 months. Tentacles are way too small for my poor camera to capture, but are in clusters about 1/16 inch across, are transparent, and have whitish bulbs on the ends of tentacles. They seem to retract during the daylight hours, but become more visible during dusk/dawn lighting. One area that is a little more out-in-the-open seems to also have a peach-ish pink bud anchored to the rock that the tentacles may or may not come out of. Sorry so vague! Does this sound familiar to anyone?

04/25/2009, 09:54 AM	#2
Gooch79 Penguins Fan Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Seymour, CT Posts: 505	See if it's anything linked/talked about in this thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1625815 A few people suggested things that sound like what you're describing. __________________ Brett Current Tank Info: 90g Oceanic Tech softie tank with 40g sump/refug

04/25/2009, 10:23 AM	#4
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	*Let Me Officially* *You To Reef Central* at first I was thinking brittle stars but the bulbs on the end I would suggest majano anemones or aptaisia __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

04/25/2009, 12:23 PM	#6
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	yes. but it sounds like it is something you don't want in your tank. can you get a good picture of it? __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

04/25/2009, 12:25 PM	#7
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	have you googled majano anemones. they come in many different shades so don't pay much attention to that. __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

04/25/2009, 10:22 AM	#3
Tylt33 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chico, California Posts: 1,755	Brittle star.

04/25/2009, 12:11 PM	#5
Salt Convert Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dallas Posts: 38	Thanks for your suggestions... so far I've searched google images for everything suggested, and nothing matches... I have several aptasias and the mystery creatures are smaller with no trunk-like part, just tentacles. I wish it were a brittle star, but these tentacles have white-ish bulbs on the end, and I can't find a pic of a brittle start that is close. The only thing I can find that is anywhere close to what these guys look like are the tentacles of some of the sea anemones that are white-ish, but the ones in my tank are really small (length of tentacles are probably 1/16th of an inch or shorter). Could an anemone survive the curing process on live rock?

04/25/2009, 12:53 PM	#8
Postal Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Wesley Chapel, FL Posts: 2,707	I'm willing to bet they are cup corals. Perfectly harmless hitchhikers. Try googling a pic to see if they match.

04/25/2009, 01:35 PM	#9
mattypw Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 184	I can't tell you what it is, but if it is an anenome, Aiptasia x works wonders

04/25/2009, 02:20 PM	#10
Salt Convert Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dallas Posts: 38	AH! Cup corals! Yes! I searched google images and this is the closest thing so far to what I see! More specifically, the golden cup corals that are featured at this web site: http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=1812560&size=lg This is the closest I'll get to posting a pic, as my camera won't even come close to capturing them. Thanks a million! You say they're harmless?

04/25/2009, 08:52 PM	#11
Chris W.89 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Greenville SC Posts: 16	I've got something very similar in my tank to what you descirbed above. I did some research (afraid of aptaisia or manjano) and found almost a perfect match. I've ID'd the poylps in my tank as a spieces from the genus Pseudocorynactis. They are noctural, have transparent bodies with tenticles that end in little colored spheres (although sometimes white) that contain nematocysts. __________________ "You can never completely fool proof a design. There's always a smarter idiot out there." Quote from my favorite teacher Current Tank Info: 29g Nano Reef (cycling)

04/25/2009, 08:56 PM	#12
Chris W.89 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Greenville SC Posts: 16	Sorry for the double post here, but I'm pretty sure that the species name is P. caribbeorum. Just google it and see if this is what you have. __________________ "You can never completely fool proof a design. There's always a smarter idiot out there." Quote from my favorite teacher Current Tank Info: 29g Nano Reef (cycling)

04/26/2009, 07:28 AM	#13
Salt Convert Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dallas Posts: 38	This is even closer than the cup corals... if I could get a closer look at them, I could be sure, but they've positioned themselves in such an odd place on a piece of rock they're hard to get a good look at. However, they do seem to be nocturnal, the tentacles are spot-on, and the colors are right too. I think you've solved it. Thank you! So what I saw on google seems to disagree- are Pseudocorynactis good or bad?

04/26/2009, 04:38 PM	#14
Chris W.89 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Greenville SC Posts: 16	Here's a link dicussing varius corallimorphs including Psuedocorynactis. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...002/invert.htm Hope this helps. __________________ "You can never completely fool proof a design. There's always a smarter idiot out there." Quote from my favorite teacher Current Tank Info: 29g Nano Reef (cycling)