Identify this parasite?

Discussion in 'Coral Health' started by Reef Evolutions, Jul 30, 2009.

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  1. Reef Evolutions

    Reef Evolutions Plankton

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    I have a couple of nice Acropora colonies that have been doing well for a couple of months. Today, I noticed two large branches completely bare, and greenish, with odd, bright white ends.
    I broke off the white ends, and saw that they moved.
    It appears to be some kind of hard-shelled creature, limpet-like, with a mouth on the underside..
    Also, it's tiny... I had to take these pictures with the macro setting on the camera, then enlarge them just to see any detail..
    Any ideas?
     

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    Reef Evolutions, Jul 30, 2009
    Reef Evolutions, Jul 30, 2009
    #1

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  2. iLLwiLL

    iLLwiLL Sailfin Tang

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    maybe pyramid snails?

    ~Will.
     
    iLLwiLL, Jul 30, 2009
    iLLwiLL, Jul 30, 2009
    #2
  3. LCP136

    LCP136 Sailfin Tang

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    I agree, possibly pyramids.
     
    LCP136, Jul 30, 2009
    LCP136, Jul 30, 2009
    #3
  4. irr0001

    irr0001 Purple Tang

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    idk about a snail..it looks like it has a plate coral like skeleton
     
    irr0001, Jul 30, 2009
    irr0001, Jul 30, 2009
    #4
  5. lunatik_69

    lunatik_69 Giant Squid

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    The middle pic almost looks like a barnacle of some kind. Am not sure its a snail b/c I dont see the "slug" part.


    Luna
     
    lunatik_69, Jul 30, 2009
    lunatik_69, Jul 30, 2009
    #5
  6. Reef Evolutions

    Reef Evolutions Plankton

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    Update

    Wow, thought I had them all picked off, and found 3 more tonight. And not only can they eat coral tissue, when I scraped (very firmly attached) them off the coral, I found they had actually each bored a bowl-like depression into the hard skeleton..
     
    Reef Evolutions, Jul 30, 2009
    Reef Evolutions, Jul 30, 2009
    #6

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  7. lunatik_69

    lunatik_69 Giant Squid

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    Well in that case, I think they need to leave and leave at once, whatever they are.


    Luna
     
    lunatik_69, Jul 30, 2009
    lunatik_69, Jul 30, 2009
    #7
  8. Reef Evolutions

    Reef Evolutions Plankton

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    Hasn't anyone seen these before??
     
    Reef Evolutions, Jul 30, 2009
    Reef Evolutions, Jul 30, 2009
    #8
  9. amcarrig

    amcarrig Super Moderator

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    Looks like some sort of limpet? Hopefully pagojoe will chime in soon!
     
    amcarrig, Jul 31, 2009
    amcarrig, Jul 31, 2009
    #9
  10. whippy

    whippy Sailfin Tang

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    If you can scrape the actual critter out of its shell I'd love to see it!

    Can you FW dip your coral??
     
    whippy, Jul 31, 2009
    whippy, Jul 31, 2009
    #10