sea cucumber: A-sexual??

[adam&eve]

I have 2 seahorses from hawaii in my 55 gal tank with a spinney oyster, sea cucumber, corals, and live rock. I've had my seacucumber for about 5 months and just recently notice what looks like a whole bunch of baby cucumbers..??? would this at all hurt my seahorses who are raised to eat frozen mysis shrimp? Should I remove all the babys that are all over my glass, oyster, live rock??? Can anyone give me some advise?

 

[bonebrake]

I doubt that your horses will eat them if they are really sea cucumbers. Can you get a picture of the adult and of the babies on the glass to post on here?

 

[ophiura]

It is certainly possible that they reproduced. Do you have any pictures of this?

 

[mudplayerx]

I thought that sea cucumbers split into two equal halves when they reproduced asexually. I find it suspect that so much asexual reproduction could have occured in 5 months. Are you sure you didn't buy an already pregnant cucumber? Maybe I'm wrong. :notsure:

 

[adam&eve]

I wasn't concerned about the seahorses eatting the cucumbers. I just don't want the cucumbers hurting my seahorses. I have a picture of my sea cucumber but when I upload file it says file is too big. I'll get my smart daughter to help me post when she wakes up.

 

[adam&eve]

Here it is

 

[adam&eve]

seahorse

 

[ophiura]

Can you post any pictures of the "offspring?"

 

[promisetbg]

Coming along for the pics. I have one of those cukes too, are'nt they cool?

 

[bonebrake]

Looking good so far.
Put some pictures up of the offspring.
Ophi will get your learn on!

 

[adam&eve]

I don't have any pictures of the babys. I think I have decided to move the sea cucumber and as many babys as I can to another tank. I know it would be easyier to move the seahorses but that is not an option due to I already have 7 salt water tanks and this tank is tall and my seahorses like it better. I will use the water from the seahorse tank and some of the rocks and just set up a cucumber tank, that way I will stop worrying. Thanks for your help. If anyone has any ideas how to best move all the little babys and the big guy, please let me know..................thanks again

 

[ophiura]

Don't force them or pull them. Be very gentle!!
When you get the babies into a container, can you take a pic then? THis is just not common, IMO, and I want to see what you've got!

 

[adam&eve]

ok, I'll try to take a picture of the babys , but the problem is I'm not very good with computers.... I'll get my daughter to help again when she gets home. Thanks for your imput.

 

[adam&eve]

here is the best picture I could get of the babys.

 

[adam&eve]

this is the picture of one of the more developed babys on the bottom of one of my anemonie's.

 

[misty7850]

Your cucumber is cool. I like it.. :jumping:

 

[ophiura]

This may be a silly question, but it is definitely not a q tip sponge, right? Those would definitely bloom in a tank, and could be mistaken for several things.
(see bottom picture here if unfamiliar
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=163866

 

[adam&eve]

thanks for the pictures of the sponge, and no I have different stages of the cucumber growing in my tank. It starts off as a very small spiral hard white speck on my glass, then grows to a translucent organisim that I can see pushing water down throughout its body, then it grows to what I have a picture of about

[hr]
that big attached to various rocks and corals that I have. I can see the tenicules just like my adult sea cucumber. At first I did think it might of been a sponge or someother offspring of my tank....but it doesn't look like any other thing besides my cucumber....Also this tank has been established for about 3 years, The seahorses are about 5 months living in this tank, they were farm raised. I am going to the fish store today and I'm planning on bringing a sample of the various stages. I don't really like asking them questions though cause they usally say gee you know more about this than we do...(no help) but maybe they have more resorces than I do to find out....thanks for your help

 

[ophiura]

The small white spiral is possibly a spirorbid worm, it has a little feeding crown. And this would not be a method of reproduction of this type of cucumber. :notsure: I dunno.

 

[mudplayerx]

Originally Posted by adam&eve
Here it is
I think that is a pic of a Sea Apple. A VERY posionous critter capable of wiping out everything in your tank should it die. Correct me if I am wrong please.