ID please

[jilmarie]

Hello,
I'm attempting to ID a few things I've found in my aquarium and will attempt to post photos. If unsuccessful please view this link: http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/Reef-Aquarium - does anyone know what the worm is?
thanks
jilmarie

[lllosingit]

Welcome to Reef Central.
The worm looks like a Peanut worm.

The other picture with three arrows could be Hydroids.

[lllosingit]

This may help
Hithhiker faq (http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/index.html)

[jilmarie]

Thanks, I think you may be correct about the hydroids. I'll take a look at the FAQ. Any thoughts on my "worm"?
Jill

[Paintbug]

sounds like your worm is an eunicid. we are talking about this one right?
http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/Reef-Aquarium/DSC00887

[msman825]

WOW paintbug, could use that one to catch a redbelly

[Travis L. Stevens]

Most likely Snail Eggs. Ilyanassa or Nassarius or other such snail most likely
http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/albums/Reef-Aquarium/DSC00910WEB.jpg

Left arrow looks like a fan worm of some sort. I'm not sure on the right arrow, but it looks like a Snake Polyp to me.
http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/albums/Reef-Aquarium/DSC00912WEB.jpg

Jellyfish Medusa!
http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/albums/Reef-Aquarium/DSC00915E_copy.jpg

That's a type of Bubble Algae
http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/albums/Reef-Aquarium/DSC00906WEB.jpg

Beyond Polychaete worm, I'm not 100% certain.
http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/albums/Reef-Aquarium/DSC00887.jpg

[jilmarie]

Travis, sorry I can't see your photos just red Xs. Regarding the jellyfish - is this safe or do I need to get rid of them. If bad how to I eliminate them? Also, which was the bubble alge? The stuff on the snail?
thanks,
jill
p.s. I still can't seem to get this to post photos :(

[jilmarie]

p.s I do have Nassarius snails and I think they are the egg layers... I've been reading up on the jellyfish and the photos and info sure seem to match the white things I'm seeing on the rocks. I'm also getting more free floating / pulsating guys - hope they aren't a problem. I do think they sting b/c my tail spot blenny tried to eat one and quickly spit it back out! Thanks for the welcome and all the information.
jill

[jilmarie]

Okay, more photos at the following links:
Now have free floating larva in the take - ugh...

http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/Reef-Aquarium/DSC00975
The above link is a photo of some free swimming larva in my take each about 2-3mm long and swimming in a spiral motion, maybe immature stage of the larger worm??? Help, am I being taken over? :D

http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/Reef-Aquarium/DSC00967
Close up of the white life forms on rock - jellyfish?

http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/Reef-Aquarium/DSC00989
Caught one of the free floating/plusating froms and shown in water drop on paper - interesting that is was still pulsating.


http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/Reef-Aquarium/DSC00964
Here the brown and white org. are shown in the same photo.

Any further thoughts?
jill

[LeslieH]

Jill -- all your shots of the larger worm are from the ventral side. the body shape, jaws, and branchiae indicate either family Eunicidae or Onuphidae but I can be sure without seeing the dorsal side of the head. Both families have herbivores, detritivores, predators, scavengers and many species will switch feeding modes depending on what's available. The little one is an epitoke, a free-swimming reproductive form of the non-reproductive animal. The shots not clear enough but I suspect it's in the family Nereididae. At that size they're not likely to hurt anything.

[jilmarie]

Leslie,
Sounds like you are just the person I needed to sound in on this! Thank you for the information. I'll look to see if I have any dorsal shots, unfortunately I didn't keep the body - my first instinct was yuck to the trash with you and then I had to dig him back out again to get the pictures :) I did collect some of the free swimming guys tonight and placed in formalin and will try to get better images under the scope tomorrow. Thanks again,
jill

[jilmarie]

http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/Reef-Aquarium/DSC00889_2

Leslie,
The above link has a lateral view if that help with the id at all - thanks,
jill

[LeslieH]

What!!! You threw away a cute liddle woim???? Sheesh..... ;-)

Unfortunately that doesn't show anything of the dorsal head region. Take a look at this page -- did your animal's head look anything like h1014? (click for a larger image). Most eunicids & onuphids have head appendages that are long enough to show in a lateral or ventral view but a few have these short ones.

I look forward to seeing shots of the little guy.

[jilmarie]

Leslie,
I wasn't able to see any photos on your last post. I'm not sure why, maybe my security settings or something?? Anyway, I don't remember "my" worm as having any kind of head appendages. I did catch some "babies" and took into work - the following as links to the photos as I still can't seem to get my photos to display :(
http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/Reef-Aquarium/DSC00994

http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/Reef-Aquarium/DSC00999

http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/Reef-Aquarium/DSC01000

Do you know this guy :)
thanks again,
jill

[LeslieH]

Jill - My fault, I didn't post the url for the page. It's http://www.nhm.org/guana/bvi-invt/bvi-surv/worm-g04.htm

Your little guys are dorvilleid polychaetes. There's a couple of dorvilleid images at http://www.nhm.org/guana/bvi-invt/bvi-surv/worm-g05.htm Click on the animal for an enlarged image, click on the name or code to see another image. The shape of the head & eyes is characteristic for the group. There are no reports of them doing any damage to organisms larger than themselves. More images at http://www.calacademy.org/research/izg/SFBay2K/Dorvillea%20annulata.htm

The larger one, well, I'm still not sure. From what I see of the jaws it could be a lumbrinerid, oenonid, onuphid or eunicid. The split head rules out the first two but the second two families have head appendages. It's definitely not a glycerid - the jaws are very different in that family. If you see another one & still want an id stick it in 5% formalin or 70% alcohol and send it to me.

[jilmarie]

Leslie, thanks so much for the help with the IDs - very interesting. If its okay with you I'll ID my large guy with the last few rule outs you provided. I so wish I had thought to keep the bugger and if I find another (hope not) I'll certainlly send it to you. Thanks again for all the information - it is very interesting.
jill

[jilmarie]

UPDATE - My "jellyfish is still going and is now very larger - dime sized - started out about 2-3mm. I'll post the link to the photos on my web site: http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/Reef-Aquarium/DSC01312

http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/Reef-Aquarium/DSC01310_edited

[jilmarie]

New ID please -
Inbetween my polyps I'm seeing a fuzzy white cone shaped objects growing - looks like a bee hive but white - think if might be some sort of worm as occ. I notice a fan like structre at the top of the cone. Can anyone provide a positive ID? Harmful?
http://littlecrittersvet.com/PhotoGallery/Reef-Aquarium/DSC01314_edited
thanks
jill

[LeslieH]

Those are pineapple sponges, possibly genus Scypha

See the second row, right hand image at http://www.melevsreef.com/id/sponge.html
and http://www.seamasters.be/bio/spons/zakspons.htm

[jilmarie]

Yep, that's them. Good or bad? They seem to be increasing in numbers rapidly in the tank.
thanks again,
jill

[Paintbug]

they are harmless filter feeders. you will get a population bloom, where they will start showing up a lot, then they kind just start disappearing as the food supply is consumed. then they will usually end up in the sump, or dark areas of the rock.

[jilmarie]

Wonderful! Thanks a bunch. Any thoughts on the jellyfish? How long can they live? Variety? How big will they get in the tank enviornment?
jill

[Paintbug]

im not a jellyfish expert by no means, but it looks like you have a baby upside down jellyfish. one reason i say that is because it has survived in your tank. upside down jellyfish are about the only ones i know of that will survive in a normal tank, but are not easy to keep. heres some info on them.
http://www.centralpets.com/php/PrintFriendly.php?AnimalNumber=1782
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=23&pCatId=543
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cassiopeia_andromeda.html#food_habits