Newly discovered reef inhabitant

Crit21 · 04/04/2006, 06:34 PM

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/...la_varia_4.jpg [IMG]

I was looking at the corals with a flashlight after dark to check out the polyps when I saw this thing on the overflow. It almost jumped when the light hit it, and it kind of crawled as it turned around and scooted around the side. I thought it was some kind of predator at first, but after researching on the Net I determined it to be a somatella varia. Apparently it's just an algae eater, which is a good thing. It's about an inch and a half long. You can see the antennae and head at the top, and the shell is the top right hand quarter of the pic.

Crit21 · 04/06/2006, 01:29 PM

Actually, there are two. Where there are two there will be hundreds more, right?
Forget the link if you have your pop-ups blocked. Just check out my gallery.

Sk8r · 04/06/2006, 03:26 PM

I have one or two of those with zebra stripes, black and white, came in the same way.

04/04/2006, 06:34 PM	#1
Crit21 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Fairbanks, AK Posts: 1,429	Newly discovered reef inhabitant http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/...la_varia_4.jpg [IMG] I was looking at the corals with a flashlight after dark to check out the polyps when I saw this thing on the overflow. It almost jumped when the light hit it, and it kind of crawled as it turned around and scooted around the side. I thought it was some kind of predator at first, but after researching on the Net I determined it to be a somatella varia. Apparently it's just an algae eater, which is a good thing. It's about an inch and a half long. You can see the antennae and head at the top, and the shell is the top right hand quarter of the pic.

04/06/2006, 03:26 PM	#3
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I have one or two of those with zebra stripes, black and white, came in the same way. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

04/06/2006, 01:29 PM	#2
Crit21 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Fairbanks, AK Posts: 1,429	Actually, there are two. Where there are two there will be hundreds more, right? Forget the link if you have your pop-ups blocked. Just check out my gallery.