Reef Discussion

[Dynamic]

Hi again. Can someone please ID this thing for me. Sorry about the image quality, it is pretty bad but this is the only camera I have.

It looks like a caterpillar with leafs on top of its head. Is it a friend or not?

Thanks again :)

 

[Luke]

Nudibranch

 

[firebird]

hard to see-?? nudibranch

 

[firebird]

Some are good and some are bad

 

[Dynamic]

It is completely brown if that helps...

If it is okay I would rather keep it as I think it looks cool. How do I find out if it is good or bad?

 

[MagicJ]

Dynamic, these are a couple of good sites for identification - hope you have got a few spare hours :D

http://www.nudipixel.net/
http://www.nudibranch.com.au/index.html

 

[Dr. Schell]

Although it looks very much like one, this is not a nudibranch. It is actually a juvenile sea-cucumber. The feeding tenticles are the hairy things that are arranged in a ring round the mouth of the animal. Below is video I found on the net of an animal with a similar body plan feeding (is definately the same species though)

 

[Dr. Schell]

That is some very nice algae you have there!

 

[Dr. Schell]

Seacucumber are one of those funny animals to keep. Some species have the potential of wipe out your entire tank is they enviserate (release their insides which are toxic to defend themselves). I have several small seacucumber in my tank which came in on the live rock. Never had an issue with them and the tank inhabitants leave them well enough alone. These animals are filter feeders (use their sticky tenticles to trap particles out of the water).

 

[Luke]

I bought one of these many years ago as a nudibranch,
Good call tho Doc it is a cucumber , Just goes to show dont trust anything the LFS tells ya :)
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/seacukes.htm

 

[MagicJ]

Just out of interest dr_schell what gave away the fact that it is cucumber rather than a nudibranch - the photo's make identification a bit hard :)

 

[Jonny Glover]

it's got it's tentacles in the air and it's body looks circular form what i can tell shane :)

 

[Dr. Schell]

the arrangement and configuration of each tenticle. Also, it it was a nudibranch, the gills would point perpendicular to the body (ie toward the water surface). As the tenticles point towards the fron of the body, more likely to be the cucumber. I have kept these critters in the aquarium before so I am familiar with them. More common that you would think. Some are stunning (ie sea apples - see below)

 

[Dynamic]

Thanks Doc!

You are right, it looks exactly like that. So now the question is, should I keep it in the tank, or move it? It looks nice, but I don't want to risk the health of the tank. What do you suggest?

 

[Dr. Schell]

should be fine in your tank as long as you are not constantly handling it or dropping stuff onto it. Will feed on detritus and will seek out an area of high flow. If you like it, keep it but do some research on it so you know what to expect.

 

[Dynamic]

Thanks Doc, I will look into it now.

Cheers!