OK .... something odd. the 'live rock' my mushrooms came on

[rachyl756]

OK I got a sweet present form my husband of some red mushrooms.

of course they came on live rock

Today I was looking at them and suddenly the live rock changed and contracted. Obviously not entirely live rock

But what the heck is it? the tan filter feeding thing of some sort under the mush rooms??

open:

closed:

And isn't he sweet to buy me something he hates for thanksgiving

Rachel

 

[_ShotgunShrimp_]

its a sponge.. nothing to fear..

 

[rachyl756]

I was pretty sure it was either harmless or beneficial, I mean -obviously- the mushrooms don't mind it,

Thing startled me half to death though, then you're lookng at a piece of live rock with mushrooms on it, you really do not expect the live tock to suddenly move

Course it isn't the prettiest colored spounge in the world but cool!

Thanks

Rachel

 

[tld]

My guess is a solitary tunicate. Sponges don't contract as you described, but tunicates will.

HTH,
Teresa

 

[rachyl756]

The one on the top has at least 3 openings into a large open space in between.

There is the obvious opening in the picture, one right next to it, and the bump behind it is another opening. looking in you can see back out through any of the openings, if that makes sense

Below by the little red mushroom next to the blue stripped one, there is another opening. I don't think they are connected? but I can't tell for sure and I can't tell if there is more to that bottom one or not.but you can kinda see how in the open pic the red mushroom is flush up against the tan tihng and in the closed pic there is some space between it and the tan.

Rachel

 

[Anonymous]

Any way you can get a close up pic when it's "open"?

 

[rachyl756]

I didn't shrink this one, and cropped it to just the top open part to make it manageable.

Irs about 3/8ths of an inch or 1/2 of an inch across the openings

Thanks
Rachel