Need an ID

Anybody have a clue wtf this is? It appears to be some sort of macroalgae, but looks more like a lily pad. Its about 1/4" in size, and appears to have a root on the bottom of it. I found it growing in a patch of zoanthids.

First 2 pics are of the top, second 2 are of the bottom and you can see the "root/stalk".

 

oh yeah, its hard, not squishy like it appears in the pic. I plucked it off with tweezers and it didnt effect the appearance of it.

 

I've seen something similar in the local rockpools here in SE Queenland.They can cover a 3 ft square rock & look just like a colony of zoanthids.+1 on pronunciation.Have you kept it alive for further study?If not,try cutting it up.Evan simple plants & animals are quite different on the inside.

 

Im in the school of thinking "better safe, then sorry", so it got tossed. Im sure there are more in there though. Where there is one, there is bound to be another.

Got any pics of those rock pools?

 

Never thought to take a camera.Have'nt been for 6 months so thanks for the idea.We're about 300 miles sth of the GBR but we have most tropical species endemic to the east coast.Water temp is 18C -26C so critters adapt to tank life quite easily.The kids love to bring something home for a day or so then take it back to the same pool.Heaps better than stray dogs.

 

aint that the truth!

 

You get the weirdest stuff geeky! Whatever it is, it looks pretty cool but had I been in your shoes, I would have yanked it too but I might have stuck it in the fuge just for giggles.

 

I guess when you get stuff from the wild, ya get all sorts of weird and crazy stuff. Neat looking none-the-less. If I see another one, its going in to a QT.