Some button polyp parasite?

[Mihai]

Hi,

I have some button polyps (protopalythoa sp.) and they are doing fine
for the last month or so (they grew nicely). A week ago I noticed a
white cylinder about 1/2" long and 1/4" diameter that looked like a
butterfly cocoon at their base. A few days later my other buttons
(smaller and no green) developed the same thing. It didn't seem to
bother the polyps (nice and expanded), but since there was nowhere
else in the tank I assumed that it must be a parasite and I yanked it
out. Its consistency was like a sponge (more exactly, like the cocoon
I mentioned before: fibers) that I could easily rip apart. Was empty
inside.

It's too late to take a picture (it's gone for a week now and didn't
return), but now I'm getting curious about what it was (a bit
late, I know).

Any hints?
Thanks,
Mihai

 

[John_Brandt]

Maybe they were syconid sponges.

Look: http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=47264

 

[Mihai]

Yup, that's the one. Thanks a lot. In the mean time I found them in 2 other places in the tank, unrelated to the polyps, so my initial assesment of parasites was wrong.

Thanks again,
Mihai