Live Rock Freebie - Goody Or Baddie?

[bobf]

Found an interesting little creature attached to some live rock I have.

Anyone any idea what (who!) this is, and for a bonus point is it good or bad?

Its about 15mm accross and appears jelly-like (anemone?) and is a translucent browny colour, but with nice green/turquarze tips to its 'fingers'

My tank is recently established but has very mature LR.

If its a goody how do I feed it?

If its a baddie how do we get rid?

Thanks all.

 

[James B]

toach coral i think but im only a newbie myself so am proabely wrong http/www.marinecenter.com/corals/coralsl...lmetallicgreen/ bit of info on it there

 

[James B]

double post

 

[k.o.d]

The pic looks like a cabbage coral frag, it is definitely a soft coral and is a good thing

Ensure the lighting is adequate, with sunlight and actinic spectrum and keep reasonable water quality and it will grow and propogate

Steve

 

[SkiFletch]

Tough to say what that is Bob. Not a torch coral, the body is too fleshy. Could be a type of ricordea or other mushroom, could be a type of anemone, or it could be a baby tentacled plate coral. Does it have a discernable mouth in the center? And what does it do at night? Shrivel up into a soft or hard body? Release sweeper tentacles? Or something entirely different?

Tough to say whether its bad, only time will tell

 

[bobf]

Tough to say what that is Bob. Not a torch coral, the body is too fleshy. Could be a type of ricordea or other mushroom, could be a type of anemone, or it could be a baby tentacled plate coral. Does it have a discernable mouth in the center? And what does it do at night? Shrivel up into a soft or hard body? Release sweeper tentacles? Or something entirely different?

Tough to say whether its bad, only time will tell

In an effort to see what's underneath it I gave it a little poke with a stick (like you do!) and it kind of pulled it's arms inwards towards the centre and looked a bit like an inverted mushroom head - kinda bowl shaped - concave as I faced it, instead of normally convex. Seems to be sat on a short but relatively thick whiteish tube - like a pipe worm builds but much thicker and shorter, only 3 or 4 mm that I can see.

Definately soft bodied - appears jelly like and semi transparent. I get the impression it might be some variation on the feather duster theme? At rest (unpoked!) it remains kinda dome shaped, with its little fingers sticking out. From memory, nothing much changes overnight, shape/attitude wise. Has certainly got bigger (say 25%) in the couple of weeks I've been aware of it.

There may be a mouth in the centre, but at the moment it just looks like its gathered towards the middle where it goes into the little neck/pipe thing.

I hope it's a keeper as it's really quite a pretty little thing.

 

[SkiFletch]

Huh, interesting. I dont see why it wouldn't be a keeper. If it doesnt change much at night, chances are its a non-photosynthetic filter feeder. Pretty much rules out mushroom or most corals. At least it looks cool

 

[bobf]

B)-->QUOTE(James B @ Dec 27 2006, 05:07 PM) [snapback]1420803[/snapback]
toach coral i think but im only a newbie myself so am proabely wrong http/www.marinecenter.com/corals/coralsl...lmetallicgreen/ bit of info on it there [/quote]

Thanks James, but not sure that's the one. Would be good if it was though!

The pic looks like a cabbage coral frag, it is definitely a soft coral and is a good thing

Ensure the lighting is adequate, with sunlight and actinic spectrum and keep reasonable water quality and it will grow and propogate

Steve

Thanks Steve - lighting does cover both sunlight and dedicated actinic and the little fella seems happy enough. Save me some money if it does propergate!

 

[bobf]

Huh, interesting. I dont see why it wouldn't be a keeper. If it doesnt change much at night, chances are its a non-photosynthetic filter feeder. Pretty much rules out mushroom or most corals. At least it looks cool

Excellent - thanks Ski!

I'll report back when it's eaten all my fish and climbed out to threaten my kids then!

 

[SkiFletch]

I'll report back when it's eaten all my fish and climbed out to threaten my kids then!

ROFL

 

[l337dave]

I'll report back when it's eaten all my fish and climbed out to threaten my kids then!

ROFL

i though it was just my tank that was scary at night!

could it be a 'hairy mushroom'? I'm sure I saw a bigger version of it on ebay a while back.


dave.

 

[pipatic]

yup a small mushie

 

[bobf]

yup a small mushie

Ah right - thanks Pip.

That's the fella 'Hairy Mushrooms (Rhodactis indosinensis)'

(He'd know - was his LR originally!)

 

[pipatic]

they ones i have here are about the size of an orange in size,
check out this i found in mine.

 

[bobf]

they ones i have here are about the size of an orange in size,
check out this i found in mine.

What a shame I didn't get that one too!