Looks like twine but its alive!

tinyfish · 07/05/2009, 05:12 PM

This looks just like twine except that its alive. I found this thing as I was removing rock from my 75. It had adhered to one of the rocks but it is not sticky. I think that its really spooky looking and scary.

Can anyone identify this?

fasteddie99 · 07/05/2009, 05:30 PM

Spagetti or Medusa worm?

tinyfish · 07/05/2009, 05:34 PM

It does not move.

mdrc · 07/05/2009, 05:37 PM

does it move?
if it does its probably a worm, but if it doesnt id think it be a growth like thing like microscopic organism that forms that weird string

mdrc · 07/05/2009, 05:38 PM

oh ok posted to late

fasteddie99 · 07/05/2009, 05:38 PM

Oh!

eek! LOL, not sure but tagging along to hopefully find out.

luther1200 · 07/05/2009, 05:46 PM

Looks like a tape worm or something. I don't like that way it looks.

If you say it doesn't move, what makes you think its alive?

ludnix · 07/05/2009, 05:47 PM

How do you know it's alive if it isn't moving?

ddinox64 · 07/05/2009, 07:26 PM

Looks like a dirty ball of Cheato.

Eric. Cap is coming along nicely. If I could only get the snails to stop knocking it off the rock.

greenbean36191 · 07/06/2009, 06:31 AM

It's a mass of sea hare eggs, which means you probably have a dying sea hare.

redfishsc · 07/06/2009, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by greenbean36191
It's a mass of sea hare eggs, which means you probably have a dying sea hare.

+1

I've seen this in LFS's before. Someone around here, maybe you greenbean, was talking about how they come shallow to spawn this time of year, and thus easy to catch and export to us unsuspecting reefers. What we dont' know is that they come shallow to spawn and DIE.

tinyfish · 07/08/2009, 02:57 PM

Sea hare eggs? I do have a sea hare. Why would it be dying? I feed it every day, seaweed. Then that would make this a female sea hare? How would it have mated? I have had it for months.

I am stunned because I never would have thought of that.

noahm · 07/08/2009, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tinyfish
Sea hare eggs? I do have a sea hare. Why would it be dying? I feed it every day, seaweed. Then that would make this a female sea hare? How would it have mated? I have had it for months.

I am stunned because I never would have thought of that.

I don't know the exact repro cyle of a sea hare, but they may just be sterile eggs or some critters can be fertilized once and stay fertile indefinitely. Likely though it is probably going to be healthy until it has fully exhausted its reproductive cycle, then it will decline and die. The whole process can easily take some months.

greenbean36191 · 07/09/2009, 02:49 PM

All sea hares are hermaphrodites. They cannot fertilize themselves, but will lay infertile eggs if there is no mate available. With most sea slugs it's common to lay eggs shortly before dying whether they have been fertilized or not. It's sort of a futile last ditch attempt at passing on their legacy.

It would most likely be dying because it's old. Most species of sea hare only live to be about a year or so old, so the adults that are collected for the hobby don't have much more time left on the clock- and as you mentioned you have had yours for months. Some species, particularly Bursatella also form dense aggregations at certain times of year that make them easy pickings for collectors who either don't know or don't care that they are mostly dying animals.

tinyfish · 07/09/2009, 08:43 PM

Greenbean36191,
First, thank you for the information.

So what do I do now? Wait for it to die? Its about as big as my fist and still eating.

tinyfish · 08/03/2009, 06:25 PM

Just a note: as of today my sea hare is still alive and seems to be doing well.

tinyfish · 08/08/2009, 12:42 PM

Today August 8, 2009 I found a new batch of eggs. That makes two batches of eggs in just over 4 weeks.

07/05/2009, 05:12 PM	#1
tinyfish Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Richardson, TX Posts: 457	Looks like twine but its alive! This looks just like twine except that its alive. I found this thing as I was removing rock from my 75. It had adhered to one of the rocks but it is not sticky. I think that its really spooky looking and scary. Can anyone identify this? __________________ 20g Radion XR30w LED, CPR skimmer 29g Chinese LED, CPR skimmer 58g Tank 1, Zoanthids, 6xT5HO 58g Tank 2, China LED, ReefOcotpus

07/05/2009, 05:30 PM	#2
fasteddie99 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Delaware Posts: 1,028	Spagetti or Medusa worm? __________________ 125 gal LED lighting Super Reef Octopus XP-3000 SSS Current Tank Info: 125

07/05/2009, 05:34 PM	#3
tinyfish Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Richardson, TX Posts: 457	It does not move. __________________ 20g Radion XR30w LED, CPR skimmer 29g Chinese LED, CPR skimmer 58g Tank 1, Zoanthids, 6xT5HO 58g Tank 2, China LED, ReefOcotpus

07/05/2009, 05:37 PM	#4
mdrc Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Dallas Texas Posts: 369	does it move? if it does its probably a worm, but if it doesnt id think it be a growth like thing like microscopic organism that forms that weird string __________________ Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad Chris Current Tank Info: a sps tank in the works

07/05/2009, 05:38 PM	#5
mdrc Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Dallas Texas Posts: 369	oh ok posted to late __________________ Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad Chris Current Tank Info: a sps tank in the works

07/05/2009, 05:38 PM	#6
fasteddie99 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Delaware Posts: 1,028	Oh! eek! LOL, not sure but tagging along to hopefully find out. __________________ 125 gal LED lighting Super Reef Octopus XP-3000 SSS Current Tank Info: 125

07/05/2009, 05:46 PM	#7
luther1200 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NJ, shore Posts: 4,376	Looks like a tape worm or something. I don't like that way it looks. If you say it doesn't move, what makes you think its alive? __________________ Matt, 65G reef tank Current Tank Info: 65g reef, mix of sps, lps, few softies. Hoping to upgrade within the year.

07/05/2009, 05:47 PM	#8
ludnix Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: California Posts: 3,031	How do you know it's alive if it isn't moving? __________________ -Eric Sutter Current Tank Info: 14g Biocube

07/05/2009, 07:26 PM	#9
ddinox64 Moved On Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Ca. Posts: 1,327	Looks like a dirty ball of Cheato. Eric. Cap is coming along nicely. If I could only get the snails to stop knocking it off the rock.

07/06/2009, 06:31 AM	#10
greenbean36191 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Posts: 10,598	It's a mass of sea hare eggs, which means you probably have a dying sea hare. __________________ Some say the sun rises in the East. Some say it rises in the West. The truth must be somewhere in the middle. Current Tank Info: tore them down to move and haven't had the time or money to set them back up

07/08/2009, 02:57 PM	#12
tinyfish Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Richardson, TX Posts: 457	Sea hare eggs? I do have a sea hare. Why would it be dying? I feed it every day, seaweed. Then that would make this a female sea hare? How would it have mated? I have had it for months. I am stunned because I never would have thought of that. __________________ 20g Radion XR30w LED, CPR skimmer 29g Chinese LED, CPR skimmer 58g Tank 1, Zoanthids, 6xT5HO 58g Tank 2, China LED, ReefOcotpus

07/09/2009, 02:49 PM	#14
greenbean36191 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Posts: 10,598	All sea hares are hermaphrodites. They cannot fertilize themselves, but will lay infertile eggs if there is no mate available. With most sea slugs it's common to lay eggs shortly before dying whether they have been fertilized or not. It's sort of a futile last ditch attempt at passing on their legacy. It would most likely be dying because it's old. Most species of sea hare only live to be about a year or so old, so the adults that are collected for the hobby don't have much more time left on the clock- and as you mentioned you have had yours for months. Some species, particularly Bursatella also form dense aggregations at certain times of year that make them easy pickings for collectors who either don't know or don't care that they are mostly dying animals. __________________ Some say the sun rises in the East. Some say it rises in the West. The truth must be somewhere in the middle. Current Tank Info: tore them down to move and haven't had the time or money to set them back up

07/09/2009, 08:43 PM	#15
tinyfish Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Richardson, TX Posts: 457	Greenbean36191, First, thank you for the information. So what do I do now? Wait for it to die? Its about as big as my fist and still eating. __________________ 20g Radion XR30w LED, CPR skimmer 29g Chinese LED, CPR skimmer 58g Tank 1, Zoanthids, 6xT5HO 58g Tank 2, China LED, ReefOcotpus

08/03/2009, 06:25 PM	#16
tinyfish Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Richardson, TX Posts: 457	Just a note: as of today my sea hare is still alive and seems to be doing well. __________________ 20g Radion XR30w LED, CPR skimmer 29g Chinese LED, CPR skimmer 58g Tank 1, Zoanthids, 6xT5HO 58g Tank 2, China LED, ReefOcotpus

08/08/2009, 12:42 PM	#17
tinyfish Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Richardson, TX Posts: 457	Today August 8, 2009 I found a new batch of eggs. That makes two batches of eggs in just over 4 weeks. __________________ 20g Radion XR30w LED, CPR skimmer 29g Chinese LED, CPR skimmer 58g Tank 1, Zoanthids, 6xT5HO 58g Tank 2, China LED, ReefOcotpus