ID Please: Unknown Coral

[RichardinFL]

I found this in my tank. I took these pictures shortly after the lights came on today. It is clearly extending some very long (6" +) tentacles with apparently mean nematocysts, and the nearby mushrooms and polyps do not like it at all. It consists of several "bulges" the total width and height of all combined is about 3/4". It is fairly small for such long tentacles. It is reddish brown in color with almost beigish patterns to it in spots. Here are the pictures:

http://www.nostalgiaair.org/aquarium/unknowncoral3a.jpg

http://www.nostalgiaair.org/aquarium/unknowncoral3b.jpg

http://www.nostalgiaair.org/aquarium/unknowncoral3c.jpg

Any information on this would be greatly appreciated. Clearly I need to move it...

Thanks,

Rich

[Opus123]

Looks like a type of red algae to me.

[RichardinFL]

Thanks for the input. I am 99% certain it is not algae, it has very long very fine silk like tentacles with tiny little bubble looking things near the ends of them. Everywhere the tentacles flow, things are retracting and not happy. It also generally gets smaller during the day and larger at night (though for some reason today it has stayed in the larger state most of the day).

Rich

[Shawnts106]

That is definatly a macroalgae, called Nemostoma (sp?) I do believe... It does product a sort of slimmy substance that corals become irratated by.

Its a cool macro to have, just let it grow, your shrooms with detact and find new areas to colonize if they are THAT bothered by it!

congrats