What on earth is this stuff on my rock? (BIG PICS)

[illuminum]

I know I know, there have been a ton of threads like this, but I've looked and can't find any information on this stuff. Does anyone have an idea?

Thanks in Advance,
Greg
http://www.alexavakian.com/yourpictures/albums/userpics/10013/rock%20growth.jpg

http://www.alexavakian.com/yourpictures/albums/userpics/10013/rock%20growth%202.jpg

[Ti]

tagging along

[jgsensor]

Looks like some type of hydroid IMO. If that's what it is I'd kill it and fast. Do a search on here for hydroids and see if it matches up. The spreading stolans and small pom pom looking heads though looks like a type of hydroid. I have been fighting them for a long time, but mine look a bit different than that.

[illuminum]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6527176#post6527176 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jgsensor
Looks like some type of hydroid IMO. If that's what it is I'd kill it and fast. Do a search on here for hydroids and see if it matches up. The spreading stolans and small pom pom looking heads though looks like a type of hydroid. I have been fighting them for a long time, but mine look a bit different than that.

I thought hydroids were some type of jellyfish that resemble staroclaudia. :confused:

[CAreefer]

Can't help with the ID but great pictures. I admire your abilities.

CAReefer

[EmergencyDpt]

Wowsers, I think I saw them in a SF movie once.

[Paintbug]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6527426#post6527426 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by illuminum
I thought hydroids were some type of jellyfish that resemble staroclaudia. :confused:

hydroids come in many shapes and forms. theres about 2000 species of them. im pretty sure that those are some type of Colonial Hydroid. they could cause stings to you, fish and corals.

[MyMonkey]

Ew. What do they feel like? I have some tiny little bristle like things on a few rocks around some polyps. The polyps have been doing poorly for a while now. Maybe those? I will look closely.

[Pandora]

Agreed, they're hydroids, great pics BTW.

I'm no expert on IDing hydroids to species, but I suspect related to Tubularia spp. (maybe not the one below, which is supposed to be an unbranching sp., yours branches)

http://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/species.asp?item=D1440

http://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/cnidaria/tubind.jpg

[illuminum]

Ok, so if these things sting and spread, the next logical question would be how do I kill them? Any idea?

[Paintbug]

the only way i know of removal is manually plucking them with some tweezers. be sure to wear gloves!!

i did find something that looks pretty close to what you have. they are called Rapharia gorgoniae. look here at the bottom http://www.wetwebmedia.com/hydrozoans.htm

[Amphiprion]

Definitely hydroids. BTW, hydroids are not jellyfish--they may resemble them, but are in an entirely separate phylum. You have the option of manually removing them or trying to reduce the nutrient input that is feeding them.

[thehedge]

Hydroids...be very careful removing them, they can give you a really bad rash. Wear disposable gloves and be careful taking the gloves off, as the stinging cells may still be on the outside of the glove. I have seen several cases that people get stung BY THEIR GLOVE!!!

[Pandora]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6529981#post6529981 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Amphiprion
Definitely hydroids. BTW, hydroids are not jellyfish--they may resemble them, but are in an entirely separate phylum. You have the option of manually removing them or trying to reduce the nutrient input that is feeding them.

I think you mean class... both hydroids & jellyfish (& corals/anemones, also) are cnidarians (phylum), but the former is a hydrozoan, the latter is a scyphazoan. I say this because there is quite a bit of relatedness between the nematocysts of the two classes (but hydroids are colonially); so much so that they used to both be classified as hydrozoa.

[jgsensor]

Here's a shot of the hydroids I have been battling for quite some time now. So far I have had no luck finding a predator of these things. I also would second getting a good pair of disposible gloves. The hydroids in my tank have a very potent sting. They have killed numerous corals in the tank already and have made my fingers swell so much that it limited the amount I could bent them.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/22200Picture2_011.jpg