WHAT is this???/

[ander88]

Anyone have any ideas what this is.

Its orange. Looks like a spongy thing. Has lots of little shoots clinging on.

I noticed it on one of my corals and it would move around the base/fixing. Today I have came in and it is right on top of the heater!!!!

Is it a good thing or a bad thing and what do i do?

Cheers Michael

 

[Amphiprion]

Ha, too funny :lol: I actually believe it is a sea cucumber of some kind, but without a closer picture, I can't be sure. If that is what it is, then it is harmless .

 

[ander88]

Ill post a better picture tomorrow when the lights are on hopefully.

I kinda got a little freaked there lol. I just thought it was myt mind playin games when i saw it had moved all those times and now its went its holidays! haha

 

[ander88]

Better / closer pics - Couldnt wait till tomorrow!

It has started to move since the lights went on!

 

[Amphiprion]

Ah, okay. It is actually a dendronotid nudibranch. They are all predatory on something, usually corals (and in this case, soft corals). Have you noticed any disappearing and/or ailing recently?

 

[ander88]

Not that I have noticed. But it has always been sticking around one coral inparticular. Should I remove this?

 

[Amphiprion]

If you want the coral, then yes . I also suggest you search the coral very, very carefully, as they will usually (almost always) have eggs laid around the base of the coral somewhere.

 

[ander88]

OK, what am I looking for in the way of eggs? Will they be noticeable?

 

[Amphiprion]

Yes, they'll be noticeable. They are almost always in some sort of pattern, etc. and can be found by looking for something similar. Color is quite variable, but often white in the dendronotids I've seen. Here's a pic for reference (this is an aeolid in the pic):

 

[ander88]

OK. Well the critter has gone the journey, just removed it now, time for the egg hunt!

I will post back and let you no how it goes.

Cheers for the advice again Mike