Bug ID- attacked montipora??

[hockeymen]

Can anyone ID this critter?

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/555/194187unidentified-med.JPG

They were all over my orange montipora digitata which is now completely bleached out. I'm not sure if they were the cause or there to try and clean up a dying specimen. Either way, I'd like to know if I am harboring something detrimental in my tank. Thank you.

Scott

[jbax]

were your lights off when it comes out

[Tizzo]

The pic is blurry but google amphipods. They do not eat corals, they would not have been the cause of your coral bleaching if they are those pods.

[hockeymen]

yes the lights were out when these came out....I was spotting them with a flashlight, then using the night vision on the camera to focus in otherwise they would scurry back into the rock work.

Excellent, I just needed a little direction, they are definitely amphipods, phew...... that is a relief. Thanks guys.

[jbax]

yeah thats what i thought they were. the lights go out and they scurry around everything like ants. they are good guys.

[lostinthereef]

sounds like nudibranchs

[mflamb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15105245#post15105245 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lostinthereef
sounds like nudibranchs I've never seen a nudibranch move very fast.

[hockeymen]

The digitata was a fresh frag from a buddy of mine, I think it just didnt adjust right to my tank. The m. capricorna did fine but the digitata bleached. I've looked at pics of the nudibranches, and once Tizzo directed me to amphipods, that is definitely what they are, not nudibranches. I had never looked at night that closely before, pretty neat to see them scurry once the lights go out.

[mflamb]

Yeah, sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night, I go check out the tank. Cools stuff at night.