Branching Coral Killing Barnacle

[kronikwisdom]

Subject says it all. I have a light green branching barnacle looking thing that is spreading through my rock. It has tentacles like a barnacle but many of them. They flow around then attach to another area and it starts a new colony that branches from there. The tentacles are so small my junk camera can't get close enough and have been unable to find anything like it online.

PLEASE HELP!!!

 

[Ben1]

Sponge maybe? Hard to say with that description

 

[kronikwisdom]

No way this is a sponge, the tenticels stretch and start a new colony of this stuff. I'm going to pickup a new camera today and take some pics. But what else could it be?

 

[cindre2000]

hydrozoan?

 

[Anonymous]

Need a pic.

It doesn't sound at all like a barnacle.

 

[kronikwisdom]

Oh I'm absolutely sure its not a barnacle but thats what it looks like. Here is a pic below. It coming out of the center of the GSP.

 

[iseeweed]

That looks like a harmless worm to me(I forget the real name), I have a bunch of those things. It may be that zenia(right??) that is next to it causing the harm. Sorry i'm not very good with the names of corals!

 

[kronikwisdom]

picture updated, the pest is circled.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, harmless worm. They come in different colors, sorry I can't remember the species,we've always called the spaghetti worms. All it's doing is extending feeding tenticles, which it pulls back into its hole when it's done eating. I see the GSP it's on is retracted but that probably IME isn't the cause.

 

[kronikwisdom]

Well if thats a worm.. What would eat it, because its always causing the gsp to retract.. Grrrr...

 

[brandonberry]

I agree with Lawdawg. I really don't think that is what is causing it to retract. If it is, I have never seen them cause this before and I have tons of them. It is likely just feeding on the detritus that seems to be covering the retracted gsp. Try blowing some of that junk off with a turkey baster and see if they come out better. What other corals do you have near it. It looks similar to when corals are getting stung by sweeper tentacles at night.

 

[Anonymous]

(nods in agreement with brandonberry)

 

[kronikwisdom]

There are some green zoas next to the gsp but thats all, nothing with sweeping tentacles that could cause the retracting of the gsp