ID Please!

[JezandBel]

Hi,
Firstly, thanks for your help with the live rock.

We put our live rock in yesterday and this evening, we have noticed two life forms in the tank.

The first is about 2 1/2 inches long and about 3mm thick and cream in colour with an orange/red stripe running down what I guess is its back. We have just one of these.

The other life form is very thin, about the width of a sewing needle and is about an inch long. It is white/cream in colour and has brown/black stripes running the length of its body.We have noticed about 6 of these.

Both have come from the same piece of live rock and are staying very close to the rock.

Does anybody have any idea what they may be and if so, should we be feeding them?

At this stage of our adventure into marine aquariums, all help is appreciated. :? :?:

 

[JezandBel]

Okay,
After looking at my tank again, it would appear that the smallest of the two afore mentioned worm like creatures have all joined together to form one larger creature (now approx 3-4 inches long) or it has had a dramatic growth spurt in the last hour! I realise that a photo would be a great help, but at this point, I dont have the right software installed on my computer.
Thanks 8O :?

This is probably going to sound weird, but it is no longer just one larger worm. It has taken on the shape of a sea star - that it is it has a round middle and five "arms"

 

[JezandBel]

Okay,
After looking at my tank again, it would appear that the smallest of the two afore mentioned worm like creatures have all joined together to form one larger creature (now approx 3-4 inches long) or it has had a dramatic growth spurt in the last hour! I realise that a photo would be a great help, but at this point, I dont have the right software installed on my computer.
Thanks 8O :?

 

[Anonymous]

Well, congrats!

Its always exciting to see the creatures that actually survive the trip on live rock. its going to be hard to make an Id on this guy without a picture, and if it is possible to get a photo of the center section that would be good too.

It doesn't sound to me like any of the things we would normally yank right out of the tank, so leave it in there and enjoy watching it in its new environment that you created

and Welcome to Reefs.org

 

[Anonymous]

The first is about 2 1/2 inches long and about 3mm thick and cream in colour with an orange/red stripe running down what I guess is its back. We have just one of these.

My first though is a Chiton. They have distinct plates on their back though, eight of them. If you can't see any plating that looks like big scales then it could be a skirted Limpet. These are wild guesses! There's a hitchhiker thread that has pictures of loks of interesting animals if you can find it.

The other life form is very thin, about the width of a sewing needle and is about an inch long. It is white/cream in colour and has brown/black stripes running the length of its body.We have noticed about 6 of these.

It's probably a Terebellid Worm aka Spaghetti worm if the stripes run along the length of the tentacle. The tentacles seem short though. Typically they're several inches to a foot long.

 

[JezandBel]

Hi Guy,
Thanks for your reply. The first critter had no plates, he was more like a worm. He also appears to have been eaten by our second critter.

The second critter has now taken on the shape of a sea star with five "arms". These arms are about two inches now. He is hiding beind a piece of LR and we are unable to get a camera in to take a photo. While the tank lights were off he was hiding in the LR, but as soon as the light turned on he came out of hiding.

This critter seems strange how he changed from what appeared little tiny worms into this mucher bigger life form.

TIA

 

[Anonymous]

The second critter has now taken on the shape of a sea star with five "arms". These arms are about two inches now. He is hiding beind a piece of LR and we are unable to get a camera in to take a photo. While the tank lights were off he was hiding in the LR, but as soon as the light turned on he came out of hiding.

ahhhh LOL, I was way off. It's a small species of Brittlestar.

 

[JezandBel]

Thanks Guy!
If this critter is as you say, smaller species of Brittlestar, is it something we keep or get rid of? And if we keep it, what dowe feed it?

TIA
JezandBel

 

[Anonymous]

Keep it

You don't need to feed it, it will feed itself on the stuff lying around in your tank.

They grow over time, this one grew from about 6 inches across to 24 inches across.


They are fascinating to watch too.