Is this an cirolanid isopod?

[garagebrian]

I bought some live rock from the gulf of mexico near florida recently and I've found at least 3 of these things in my rock. To me they look a lot like cirolanid isopods, is this enough detail to get a positive ID? This is the absolute best my macro mode on my camera could do, this guy was 1/3" of an inch long max.

Their behavior is that they basically stick about 1/3 to 2/3 of the way out of a hole in the LR and sit there, sometimes for up to 10-20 minutes. I've only observed them off the rock once and it was just swimming to a new rock, I've never seen them graze anything.

I have no fish in the tank, so I'm not worried about that.

 

[Anonymous]

How did you catch it?


Sure looks like those in the FAQs. I wonder if the big eyes are the key to what it is?

 

[garagebrian]

I let it attach to my hand and start sucking blood and then just pulled my hand out. KIDDING!

I saw it poking out of its usual rock and so I got my turkey baster and approached it from the bottom and sucked it right into the baster and quickly removed it into a cup I had tried this MANY times before, so I was suprised it worked, but I got it!

B.

 

[Anonymous]

I let it attach to my hand and start sucking blood and then just pulled my hand out. KIDDING!

I saw it poking out of its usual rock and so I got my turkey baster and approached it from the bottom and sucked it right into the baster and quickly removed it into a cup I had tried this MANY times before, so I was suprised it worked, but I got it!

B.

Good catch! I know my aim wouldn't be anywhere near as good.

 

[Anonymous]

Count the number of like appendage pairs on the animal (can't tell from the picture). If the total is 5 it is an Isopod. The two stalkless eyes are also a give-away. :wink:

mario

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

It certainly does look like a cirolanid. Check out this article - http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/rs/index.htm