Mystery creature

M

marceemarc

Guest
Can anyone offer any suggestions on this............
We have started a 72 gallon reef tank with live rock. It has a protein skimmer and a drip filtration system, great algae growth and lots of lil suprises from the rock. HERE'S THE MYSTERY.....at NIGHT and when the lights are left off for long periods of time...there is a creature that extends the filament looking things out of one of the rocks. Its never done any harm that we can see or causes any problems that we know of. But I am very curious as to what it may be. It extends out about 3-4 inches and the filament looking parts are reddish banded with white. They have a hairy apperance almost "fuzzy" like. As soon as the lights are on it retracts back into the rock. It doesnt come out in the same everytime but but its always in the same rock. Almost as if it lives there.
I have no idea what this may be and I have not been able to find any reference to it online. If any of you more experienced hobbiest have any suggestions I would be most appreciative!!!!!
Thanks,
Marc in NC
 
fishgeek01

fishgeek01

Active Member
peanut worm is my guess as well... the banding kind of gives it away, unless it is a brittle star, that is a possibility as well, but my guess is more towards peanut worm
 
M

marceemarc

Guest
thanks guys, that just doesnt seem to look anything like what I am seeing in the tank. Its more of a really thin filament extending out of the rock. Its a group of like 4 or 5 , havent been able to get a really good look at it yet because it withdraws as soon as the lights are on. Sorta reminds me of a fern, you know how the new growth is furry looking and it sorta CurlyQ's at the tip.....its like that but with a "hairy" look to it.
Thanks for your help!!!!!!!!!
 
hottie

hottie

New Member
My friend had a tank setup up for about 6 months and she kept having fish die - sometimes the fish showed disease, sometimes they just died . . . they seemed very stressed. In fact, all the fish in her tank seemed stressed. One night she heard a "clicking sound" coming from the tank and when she looked in with a flashlight, she saw a spidery-tanish looking "critter" - like a crab and the LFS said it might be some kind of crab that sometimes comes in on rock from the carribean . . . it stresses the fish and kills them. She had to take the rock out and break it apart and pry it out with tweazers. Hope this is not what you have. . .
 
hottie

hottie

New Member
I think the last verdict was mantis shrimp . . . it apparently cut her clown fish who then later died. It only came out at night and had one large claw that it would "click". . . science fiction movies don't even come close to this one!
 
M

marceemarc

Guest
this thing doesnt leave the rock....it only extends these "filaments" out.....they are banded with reddish and white and are sorta "hairy"
doesnt seem to be any damage just very curious as to what it is.
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
The description definitely does not sound like a mantis shrimp in terms of behavior. It certainly sounds like a filter feeder, so I would do searches on brittlestar, filter feeding sea cucumber, or even a sea lily (crinoid) to start.
 
M

marceemarc

Guest
thanks everyone...i am going to try to snap a pic with the digi cam and see if i can get a good shot of it in the morning......
 
viet-tin

viet-tin

Active Member
Originally Posted by Hottie
I think the last verdict was mantis shrimp . . . it apparently cut her clown fish who then later died. It only came out at night and had one large claw that it would "click". . . science fiction movies don't even come close to this one!
Ok now that you mention one large claw that sounds more like a pistol shrimp and not a mantis.
 
nietzsche

nietzsche

Active Member

Originally Posted by ophiura
The description definitely does not sound like a mantis shrimp in terms of behavior. It certainly sounds like a filter feeder, so I would do searches on brittlestar, filter feeding sea cucumber, or even a sea lily (crinoid) to start.

probably brittlestar. i have them in my tank as well
 
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