Been watching this hitchhiker grow

100% devils hand. i have the exact same thing sprouting from the base of my devils hand and its polyp extension is exactly similar.

that gsp looks like its on its way to bulldoze your little leather coral.

 

I can see what looks like corallites through the flesh. That suggests LPS and a skeleton Vs a soft octocoral. The pic isn't clear enough to confirm 8 tentacles though (which would make it a softy).

 

I will try to get a better pic...back in a few.

 

Having trouble getting a clearer pic...but the polyps/coralites DO indeed have 8 "tentacles" to them. The GSP is kinda "portable" in that I can shift it, if need be.

 

Well, then it's probably a sarcophyton (toadstool).

 

Thx Inwall and all!

 

O.k., now I see what everyone is talking about. Look at the second one here; Google Image Result for http://www.meades.org/fish/fish_2006.1/toadstool_coral.jpg

I had never seen that here in Mi.

 

This is what a baby toadstool looks like.



These two started out right next to my toadstool. I thought it was something different because of the polyps. Now that they are growing up they look just like their mother.