what are these

[scubanole]

I know this has been asked recently, but I can't find it. On my LR at night I have somthing that is like small arm sticking out of the holes in the LR. They are light colored with darker bands, and they have what looks hair things for filter feeding maybe. they never come completely out of the rock, just stick these arms out. What are these. Thanks.

 

[daisywb]

Sounds like a baby feather duster perhaps? Would be hard to tell w/out any pics
-Daisy

 

[scubanole]

It is not a feather duster. They stick up about 1.5 - 2 inches. Some holes have as many as 4 of them sticking up other holes have just 1 or 2. So I know it is not a feather duster. Thanks though

 

[fshhub]

if it kinda resembles an earthworm sticking out(round, and mybe banded), with a fuzzy mouth like end, it is probalby a peanut worm, if so they are a good thign, and no problems to have
HTH

 

[scubanole]

fshhub, these have hairlike things all the way down the arm. I thought in another jpost someone said they were some type of starfish that stayed in the rock. I may be way off base with them beiing starfish ,but I seem to remember reading it in another post. This LR has so much life on it I still find new stuff all the time. I saw a little white bug about 1/4 inch on it the other day. Figured it was some sort of copepod or something.

 

[fshhub]

the little white bug probably was a pod of some type
and i remember the post you are referring to now, that one sounded like a brittle star if i remember right
how lnog is it?? if you are talking only like 1/2 inch or so(the arm), it very well maybe a a mini brittle star, or may be another type of brittle star

 

[scubanole]

The arms appear to stick up around 1-2 inches on some of them. thanks fshhub, that is what I thought they said they were.

 

[chaser]

i had a brittle star exactly like that that came in my live rock the lfs told me to just leave it alone after i asked if i should break the rock to get him out i droped food in the holes for him but he never did come out and must have died in there i havent seen him in over a yead