Name The Coral/invert Etc

[Donya]

<Seffie jumping up and down> is it an Crinoid?

Seffie x

Bang on! Sorry for the lag, I think I'm getting a tad out of sync with everyone

Stalked crinoids are actually best known for being abundant in the fossil record, looking a bit more like this:

Their unstalked equivalents are more common to see walking around on reefs. From http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/echinodermata/crinoidea.html:

Stalked crinoids, or "sea lilies", lived attached to the bottom, and filtered food particles from the currents flowing past them. The extant Crinoids are the only remaining attached suspension-feeding echinoderms. This makes them an important group for Paleontologists studying the numerous extinct attached suspension-feeding echinoderms because they have only the living crinoids to examine as an example of this ancient mode of life. The living stalked crinoids mostly inhabit deep water and are therefore difficult for the average underwater enthusiast to observe. (...)

Donya, would you also put an easier one up as well, for the New Salties please? No experienced salts allowed to answer

I know I'm going to be rubbish picking an easy one, so I'm happy to defer to Sorgan's choice lol.

 

[cowbla1]

Easy one is centropyge argi.

 

[sorgan]

Nope but very close.

 

[wildechild_01]

Easy one is centropyge argi.

Nope but very close.

If thats the case then maybe... centropyge acanthops?? - Centropyge acanthops , even more orange than the sympatric Centropyge argi and Centropyge aurantonotus, the African Pygmy Angel can be easily discerned as the only one of the three with a light colored, yellow-transparent caudal fin.

 

[sorgan]

You got it! The flameback angel has an orange bar that goes right over it's back where as a cherub (Centropyge arg) is only orange in face usually.

Well done your turn for the easy question

 

[wildechild_01]

ok so here goes the Easy one for Salty Noobs like me

Also i was researching the Harder one.. found a pic that definitely looks like it and the write up says... Not sure on the ID of this one but..... *Sigh*

But is it a sea whip of some kind??? hmmm.....

 

[seffieuk]

Keep the guesses coming guys - we are on a roll fun and education

Seffie x

 

[sorgan]

that would be telling.
Another hint I suppose, it shares a name with a variety of shots.

 

[seffieuk]

Oh, oh, oh is it:

Briareum stechei - otherwise known as Pacific Encrusting Gorgonian

Is it, is it?

Seffie x

oh no, it cant be - cant think of a shot called that

 

[sorgan]

Wahoo well dine seffie, it's also known as a corky sea finger And is one of the most noxious gorgonians known ATM

 

[seffieuk]

Wahoo well dine seffie, it's also known as a corky sea finger And is one of the most noxious gorgonians known ATM

Woo hoo............

Oh my, I need to find a really hard one, i'm off to look

Seffie x

ps woops, in all my excitement I forgot to ask you to write up the info re: the coral

 

[seffieuk]

This is a really interesting, rather rare coral, one which has a relationship with another sea creature.

What is it? Latin and common name please

And don't forget Wildechilds 'New salty' photo - bit of a thorny proposition is that one!!!!!!

Seffie x

 

[wildechild_01]

Ok so not sure if im right and if i am its totally a fluke as i came across this the other day while browsing random corals but...

Walking Dendro - Heteropsammia cochlea?

 

[seffieuk]

Heteropsammia cochlea

My goodness me........ and knock me down with a feather, we have a boy genius in our midst


I liked this coral for it's relationship with the peanut worm.

Heteropsammia coclea

Heteropsammia coclea. Like similar LPS corals from the family Fungiidae, it doesn’t attach itself to a rocky surface. Instead, it likes to dwell in the sand. But what really makes this coral unique is that it lives on top of a sipunculid worm, also called a peanut worm.

While the coral is still in larval form, it attaches to the back of a peanut worm. As it grows, it envelops the worm and nearly engulfs in entirely. The worm takes up residence in the base of the coral, carving out a small hole from which it can gather food and move around. This is advantageous to the coral as the worm can prevent the coral from becoming buried in sand. The movement of the coral is achieved by the worm extending and retracting its feeding apparatus, which also helps keep the hole in the bottom of the coral open. The worm benefits from constantly


Heteropsammia coclea
having a protective shell around it, while the coral gains mobility and a method of getting out of the sand if buried.

Sea Dwelling Creatures goes on to say that they will be donating many of their specimen to a public aquariums and scientists for study, but that a few of them will make it to the hobbyist. This is a very noble stance in my opinion, since the company is not only aiding the scientific community, potentially losing revenue in the process.

Sources
Images and article information - Sea Dwelling Creatures.

Your turn Wildechild

Seffie x

 

[wildechild_01]

haha, dont feel bad, like i said i was reading about it just the other day, so saw the picture and went.. hmm... that looks like that walking coral.. i think the relationship with the worm is absolutely incredible... I guess the pressure is on now.. i need to find something challenging.....