Something very strange on live rock

[chrisnif]

Okay I got really cool piece of rock, its got 2 things odd on it I need help identifying. Ill get pics later but maybe i can describe it well enough.
There are a mess of soft green hollow tubes that are moving in the breeze in the tank. The rock was said to be covered in calupera but I dont think thats what these are. In or near each and every one of these tubes there is a white tentacle, some have more than 1, but most have at least 1-2. The tentacles are reaching out and moving all over. Someone told me they may be starfish legs, but if this were the case this rock would have at least 100 stars inside it. There are a few places without the tubes where the tentacles come out too. Help appreciated, and I'll get pictures later this evening
Merry Christmas

 

[renogaw]

green tubes are most likely caleurpa stalks, if so get rid of them...will take over your display tank.
legs are most likely mini bristles, and yea, you could have that many

 

[chrisnif]

Okay well I'm trying to grow macro in the DT, but I'll be clipping frequently. The arms are sliver/white and smooth. They look like digitate hydroids but without the "bumps" they feel around looking for something to eat on the rocks it seems. They are very fine/thin like a thick thread. I also thought brittle stars had "hairy" things like a bristle worm on their arms, these are smooth like a serpent star, but to be proportionate the body of the star would have to be the size of a thumb tack head.
I'll try to get pictures soon
Originally Posted by renogaw
http:///forum/post/3195941
green tubes are most likely caleurpa stalks, if so get rid of them...will take over your display tank.
legs are most likely mini bristles, and yea, you could have that many

 

[fretfreak13]

I'm thinking that it might be some kind of Hydroid. There are many kinds, but the ones I have are brown but live in tubes like that and stick out tenticles to catch detrius out of the water column. They also sting, but since your's are green I'm not sure. Get us a pic. =)

 

[chrisnif]

Did more research, and something else ill say below, they are calupera tubes/stalks and the tenacles are in fact consistent with stars.
I pulled all the rock out of my tank last night so I could get the base rocks to the glass (I'm getting an engineer I hope today). One rock was black and anoxic (sulfur to the point of gagging) so I bleached the rock and out come a bunch of tiny stars. 4 little arms and one large arm very odd ball looking, my other rock must have 500+ Awesome tho

 

[fretfreak13]

Wow, neat!