Reef Discussion

[Talmier]

Hi Guys

I have a little creature in my torch.
I have never seen in leave but I often see two pinchers coming out and what looks to be a little face.

Any one know what it might be?

 

[MTG]

crab? mantis shrimp? :anyone? need a picture

 

[Dr. Schell]

could be an acropora crab, xenia crab or a porceline crab (these species live symbotically with corals/anemones). Unlikely to be a mantis shrimp unless it is living in a hole within the coral base. Need a picture or a description of colour, etc to identify.

 

[MagicJ]

I think I know what Talmier is talking about - I have something similar living in my candy cane. Between a number of the coral heads there are small holes, approximately 3mm diameter, in which something is living and feeds at night. I actually think it is gradually killing the coral head by burrowing into the skeleton of the coral. I tried to take a photo a few weeks ago but not very successfully. I don't think it is a crab but more likely a worm of some sort??

Does this sound similar Talmier?

 

[Dr. Schell]

I had something that sounds similar in a gonopora. At first I thought that it was a barnicle (the strainer-like feeding legs). However, when I removed it, it was a polychaete worm that had a biolumenescent section the the "net"

 

[Dr. Schell]

I have Identified the worm that I had as Pherusa sp. These polychaetes have photonic crystal fiber hairs. Below is a photo that I found on the net. This is what I would see protuding from the hole in the coral.

 

[jashay]

cool colours in that pic, dont know how good it would be for the coral though!

taimer, do the pincers look like they are hard or softer? pictures definately help but sometimes getting shots of tiny things that move are nearly impossible!

 

[Talmier]

Hi Guys Pic attached

[Broken External Image]:http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l487/Talmier/IMG_1382.jpg

 

[MTG]

looks to me like a glass shrimp? unless im seeing things!

 

[Dr. Schell]

this is an anemone shrimp, also known as a saddled cleaner shrimp - Periclimenes holthuisi.

 

[Talmier]

Pretty sure there appears to be more then one in there as well