Feather duster or Aiptasia???

lillibirdy

lillibirdy

Member
I did a big google image search and they sometimes the two look very much alike, the feather dusters and Aiptasia. I was so excited to see this little thing, UNTIL it occured to me it might not be a teensy weensy baby feather duster. It has a teensy white tube, and tentacles coming out the top (crown?). If I touch it gently on the tentacles it withdraws them and they disappear... Sorry can't get a pic as it is on the backside of the rock and awkward to see, let alone shoot with my terrible camera. But I guess I will still try, maybe with my neighbors camera. Shall I love it or kill it?
I took it out of the tank to try to get a pic, and when I touched it it retreated it's whole self into a rock crevise.....will post pic if I can get one.
 
lillibirdy

lillibirdy

Member
Well the rock is in a bowl right now with tank water, still can't get a pic.
The tentacles did seem to wave in the current in the tank, but in the bowl they are rather still. I am not sure what you mean by more defined in one section...
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
If it is a white tube with tentacles coming out, then it is more likely a feather duster. If you touch it or disturb it and it retracts, do you still see the tube there?
 
lillibirdy

lillibirdy

Member
Since it has tucked itself into the rock crevise, it completely disappears when it is disturbed. So I can't see the tube at all anymore. I put some frozen mysys in the bowl with it and it didn't grab at it just ignored it. How long is it safe to wait before it spreads, (if it is aptasia)?
 
snipe

snipe

Active Member
If there is a tube and the tube retracts its aiptasia if the tub remains then its a featherduster.
 
lillibirdy

lillibirdy

Member
OK then Aptasia it must be, because tube is way stretched out now, longer easier to see, looks just like feather duster...BUT,... entire thing disappears into the crevise if I touch it, so Joe's juice it is... Thanks everyone!
 
lillibirdy

lillibirdy

Member
Little update. Got busy last night and left the rock in the tank water on the counter. This morning the little bugger had left the safety of the rock crevice, and was hanging on the side of the bowl & seems to be dead now. Maybe from all the tentacle tickling I did, but I thought they where hard to kill. Bowl is white and bugger is white, so still no pic... Anyway rock went back into the tank...alone.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top