I've never seem something like this. Please ID!

[AngeloM3]

I've been using this site for a while now. I've looked at pretty much every ID thread (hitchiker, coral, invert, crustasian etc....). I've checked out melevs site to see if I can ID this.... but no luck there.

But I've never seen this before!!

I guess you would clasify it as a crustasian.... if you poke at it, it will retract. It's not sensitive to light. And I've observed this during the day and night.

I don't have an editor so if I posted the pics here they would be HUGE. So please click links below to bring you to the picture.

Pic #1 (http://www.chippa.tzo.com/Angelo/Angelo%20Pics/Dont%20Touch/100_0004.jpg)
Pic #2 (http://www.chippa.tzo.com/Angelo/Angelo%20Pics/Dont%20Touch/100_0005.jpg)

[Amphiprion]

It is hard to tell, but it looks like a decaying and/or dying Ascidian to me. You can even see both siphons. They are not a crustacean, but they are actually more closely related to us. They are Chordates (from the larval stage) and are in the subphylum Tunicata (or clade Urochordata), class Ascidiacea if you want to look them up.

[ChickenCannoneer]

It looks like a sponge to me. HTH, Tim

[poedag]

some type of encrusting sponge??

[Amphiprion]

Oh, and here is Dr. Ron's excellent article on these guys:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-03/rs/index.php

[AngeloM3]

Amphiprion...

this picture on the link you gave me....
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-03/rs/images/image012.jpg

looks exactly like it!

I have another one on another rock. Should I be worried about these? Are they harmful?

[Amphiprion]

They are anything but harmful. However, they are difficult to take care of. If you manage to keep them live and healthy, then you are doing well.

[AngeloM3]

hmmmm....... the one that i took pictures of just showed up within the past week or so.

the other one thats on another rock has been there for months