Need ID please! Photo inside!

drummereef · 09/04/2006, 06:07 PM

What is this thing in the picture? Looks like there are multiple white tentacle with black spots coming out of the rock. It's been there since I put the rock in the tank a week ago. Any ideas?...

Blindmelonbob · 09/04/2006, 06:13 PM

Brittle stars, I'd bet. They're okay.

drummereef · 09/04/2006, 06:45 PM

Anyone else have opinions? I thought it might be a star, but I don't know how they got in the rock like that.

dc · 09/04/2006, 07:35 PM

That would be my guess also. They hitchike on the rocks. If you have a couple you probably have a ton of them. They are already full size. Get a flashlight and check it out at night. You may see all kinds of fun things.

chrismunn · 09/04/2006, 07:38 PM

are they tentacles or are they hard calcium tubes with tentacles coming out of them? if hard tubes, polycheat worms. (feather dustes)
if tentacles, then i dont know?

fishome25 · 09/04/2006, 07:50 PM

yea they are just brittle stars

drummereef · 09/04/2006, 08:05 PM

So brittle stars are a good thing right? They are good for the DSB?

Sk8r · 09/04/2006, 08:24 PM

They're fine. It almost looked a little like crab legs, but if you say they flex, they're likelier something like a harlequin brittle star. Green brittle stars are bad news. The black and white banded are nicer.

drummereef · 09/04/2006, 08:35 PM

Thanks everybody. Yeah, they definitely sway in the flow. Almost like it's out grabbing plankton in the water column or something.

09/04/2006, 06:07 PM	#1
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	Need ID please! Photo inside! What is this thing in the picture? Looks like there are multiple white tentacle with black spots coming out of the rock. It's been there since I put the rock in the tank a week ago. Any ideas?...

09/04/2006, 07:35 PM	#4
dc Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Wyoming Posts: 44,684	That would be my guess also. They hitchike on the rocks. If you have a couple you probably have a ton of them. They are already full size. Get a flashlight and check it out at night. You may see all kinds of fun things. __________________ Debi ~60 Cube~ Why? Because I said so of course. -Sent via Tapatalk Smoke Signals-

09/04/2006, 07:38 PM	#5
chrismunn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 4,200	are they tentacles or are they hard calcium tubes with tentacles coming out of them? if hard tubes, polycheat worms. (feather dustes) if tentacles, then i dont know? __________________ Marine Aquarists Association of South Texas Austin Reef Club PBITAWA... Current Tank Info: 14g bio cube

09/04/2006, 08:24 PM	#8
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	They're fine. It almost looked a little like crab legs, but if you say they flex, they're likelier something like a harlequin brittle star. Green brittle stars are bad news. The black and white banded are nicer. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

09/04/2006, 06:13 PM	#2
Blindmelonbob Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Arkansas, USA Posts: 662	Brittle stars, I'd bet. They're okay.

09/04/2006, 06:45 PM	#3
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	Anyone else have opinions? I thought it might be a star, but I don't know how they got in the rock like that.

09/04/2006, 07:50 PM	#6
fishome25 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: long island Posts: 2,472	yea they are just brittle stars

09/04/2006, 08:05 PM	#7
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	So brittle stars are a good thing right? They are good for the DSB?

09/04/2006, 08:35 PM	#9
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	Thanks everybody. Yeah, they definitely sway in the flow. Almost like it's out grabbing plankton in the water column or something.