Cirolanid Isopods

[m0nk]

Originally Posted by PerfectDark
COME ON>> Are you serious?.. what the hell is it doing in there. It looks like its plotting to take over the world.. This is somthing out of the Men in Black movie... WOW.
It was somehow living in a symbiotic relationship, which from what I understand, is rare with isopods. Most of the time they feed on the host, though this particular one was likely feeding on bits of stuff that the host ate. Another weird thing about this one is that it's INSIDE the host, where most symbiotic *pod relationships are with the pod attached to the exterior of the host body.
I've been doing some reading....heh. These things are certainly interesting, albeit creepy....

 

[renogaw]

i would still call it parasitical, and not symbiotic. the isopod was doing nothing to benefit the fish, and probably would have grown so big that the fish would die.

 

[m0nk]

Originally Posted by renogaw
i would still call it parasitical, and not symbiotic. the isopod was doing nothing to benefit the fish, and probably would have grown so big that the fish would die.
Yeah, that's true. Still creepy.... hehe

 

[steeliathunder]

Originally Posted by renogaw
those look exactly like tiberius's picture. odd though, hers don't eat fish, but yours did. her's roll up, and your's doesnt...
weird
actually tiberius' picture looks differnt than mine did in person. mine was purely clear, with no mottled brown (except for the stomach content blob, which did not extend to the head like tiberius'). also its legs did not protrude from the side as much, not as long. the eyes were also bigger.
I have also noticed spheromatids on my rocks, but they are much smaller than the cirolanid was.
i also have a couple chitons... one orange that has doubled in size in a week, and a purple one. i read somewhere that the purple ones eat coralline algae. should i try to take them out? i kinda like them.

 

[theappe3]

well my worst fear is confirmed. When I looked at my tank this morning I found my clown hosting a cirolanid just like in Steelia's picture. Hopefully when I get home tonight I can actually catch the clown and manually remove that thing.

 

[theappe3]

I forgot to add..
Steelia: Did you end up saving your goby and how long was it before you removed it if you ever did?

 

[kingfish8302]

man I think this can scare anyone if was in a nightmare (nightmare factor is 9.8). Talk about making a instant waterbed while sleeping.

 

[dischirm]

They look so much like a type of lobster thing, just makes me want to melt the butter and cook one up!

 

[alex4286]

Originally Posted by MichaelTX
I know this isnt what you have but it will show you the divesity of these guys and size differences that occur.
Mike
is that fo real?! from the ocean?

 

[renogaw]

Originally Posted by Alex4286
is that fo real?! from the ocean?

yea, they are.
if you ever see discovery chanel planet earth, the one on the earth's oceans, you'll see these things devour a hump back whale

 

[alex4286]

ive seen two eps. of planet earth on the ocean. The one on the coral reef (which i was disappointed in!) and the deep ocean (freaky lookin neon critters!!) I have to see that one though! Thx

 

[renogaw]

it should have been the one with the oceans (there's only two of them, the reef and the ocean) and in it they show what happens on the bottom floor. it was a mix of 4' crabs and isopods eating the remains of a whale. pretty nasty.

 

[m0nk]

Originally Posted by Alex4286
ive seen two eps. of planet earth on the ocean. The one on the coral reef (which i was disappointed in!) and the deep ocean (freaky lookin neon critters!!) I have to see that one though! Thx
Actually, it was the one with the deep ocean. The part he's referring to is when the video is all sped up and tons of deep ocean scavengers eat the whale carcass. The sounds are pretty funny, I can't help but wonder if they're really the recorded under water sounds....