What are these (pix)

[davelin315]

First picture is a chiton. It's from a family of animals that's around a billion years old or so. They're harmless as far as I know, and I have them in my tank as well. They seem to come out at night.

The second picture looks to be some sort of coral or an anemone. Does it look like it's coming out of a small stony base? Or is it just the body itself. If it's just the body itself, then it might be a parasitic anemone, and you might want to remove it. If it's coming out of a base, it's probably some sort of star coral (I believe that's the common name for the family) and it shouldn't pose any problems. This kind of coral is very commonly found on florida live rock. You may want to check out Tampa Bay Saltwater's live rock encrusting life page for a better description.

 

[Carpentersreef]

The second picture could also be an orange ball anenome.

 

[arnjer]

Thanx, yes the rock came from Florida, and yes it's coming out of a white stony base. I have several of these, the tentacle are white
with tiny white dots.

Jerry

 

[Anonymous]

The second is an ahermatypic coral (non-photosynthetic). Feed it a lot and it will grow well. It should eat any type of meat of marine origin. The little white dots on the tentacles are clusters of nematocysts.

 

[arnjer]

They catch any food I put in the tank so they eat every time I feed. I know they probably pack a powerful sting but they are stuck to base rock so I will have to keep the other corals away. Any idea how big they get, I will try and research and see what I can find out about them. They were hitchhikers.

 

[arnjer]

[ August 23, 2001: Message edited by: arnjer ]

 

[Anonymous]

These have not grown much over the past year, maybe 25% growth.... Astrangia is the presumed species but not totally confirmed...

 

[SuperLeet]

Its called "solitary coral", because it isnt a major reef builder (Scolymia cubensis)?
Its found in florida. It cant be an orange ball colimorph beause according to BAENSCH MARINE ATLAS VOLUME1 it is an imitation coral with relation to the coldwater strawberry anemonie. I got some colimorphs from the carribean, no calcium sceleton, dosent like a lot of light,

 

[Anonymous]

Superleet, its not a Scolymia sp., as they are a very meaty, disk shaped coral averaging about 2"-3" diameter.