Please ID

[findingnemo]

Hi everybody, I notice this on my live rock when I bought it I thought it was rock like but I just saw my arrow crab trying to pull it its very soft , can anybody ID it?

 

[DonCisco]

hmmm, not an expert, but it looks like some kind of polyp mantle. My Green star polyps look like that when they are hiding, so that would be my guess.

 

[ezee]

findingnemo,

Likely a sponge, do a search for monanchora unguifera on wetwebmedia, see if yours matches the pictures you find. If it has been exposed to the air it will probably by dying, hence your crab picking at it.

E

 

[findingnemo]

Thanks guys; Ive had it since september and its grown since then ,the arrow crab tried do pull it but he wasnt succesfull so he quit tryin, I did a search on the monanchora didnt match with anything I saw I will keep looking hopefully I will find out what it is.

 

[clamcrazy]

will it open up at night ? if so it might be a chili coral

 

[findingnemo]

I havent seen it open I will check tonight

 

[findingnemo]

I did the search and I found nothing that looks like what I have, I hope its something good for my tank.

 

[DonCisco]

My personal opinion is that, if the tank is healthy, and it doesn't affect neighboring colonies, and doesn't spread to the point of being a nuisance... it must be a cool hitchiker. Might not be as flashy as an SPS, or a colorful zoa... but nevertheless it is a living addition to your tank. And.... it is NOT a worm

 

[findingnemo]

Lol don. The tank is very healthy Im starting to see the water so clear all the levels have been good no amonia no nitrates so Im happy I actually like that stranger in my tank I just wanted to know what it was .

 

[clamcrazy]

is it hard or soft ?

 

[findingnemo]

Is soft. It does not open at night and its loosing color it use to be bright burgundy know it has white spots.

 

[DonCisco]

Vanessa, make sure you keep and eye on your parameters, it might be going sexual, in which case it will release a large amount of nitrates in your system.