hitchiker ID confirmation

mkzimms

Member
So i picked up an amazing encrusted 12lb pice of LR today. I was just sitting around checking out the tank with the moon lights on and look what i found! he was staring back at me from a hole in the rock.
i think hes a cucumber or a seahare... but im leaning towards cucumber. its about 5 inches long a greenish color with little spikes all over him. he kind of looks like a tiger tail cucumber but in green. i always though that cucumbers had a tough exterior, but this guy could scrunch himself up into about a 1inch when i scared him. he took a few chomps out of the sand and then tried to suck some algae off the rock. his mouth opens wide and round with a few fuzzy things that come out.
the tank is at the last leg of its cycle and there is plenty of algae on the sand and rocks so im hoping he lives through the last little bit of this. he didn't seem to be acting strange or distressed at all. he popped out of his rock and made his way into the rock next door.


him eating sand


please confirm my ID. thanks.
 

mkzimms

Member
i hear sea cucumbers can release toxins (holothurin) if bothered. is this something i should worry about, do i keep him or try and get rid of him to the LFS or other means.
hes now climbing my glass.
 

bonebrake

Active Member
That is some type of worm, not a sea cucumber.
I don't know for certain, but by the looks of it I would consider it predatory.
 

mkzimms

Member
ive been doing some research and hes definitely a sea cucumber. i can tell by the tentacles that come out when hes opening his mouth. i just don't know what kind yet.
hes being very active going in and our of all the rocks. i never would have though they would be that active, but i guess ive never seen one at night either.
 

mkzimms

Member
the rock is from the LFS... lol
i think its premium fiji, but who knows these days. the rock was from the LFS in one of their established reefs, so i dont know if it was an original hitchhiker or added sometime later. ill go over tomorrow and ask them what types of cucumbers they have ordered / placed in that particular tank in the past and see if i can get an ID from them.
hopefully they wont ask me to pay for it. hah
 
Top