Aquatic Inchworm???

[Nano_Steve]

hey all,

i found this little guy cruisin on my rocks earlier today and i had no idea what the hell it was! its definitely not a nudibranch species i have ever seen(if that is indeed what it is) but its really weird. it inches along in very spaztic motions just like an inchworm u would see crawlin on a tree. any ideas? sorry i had to draw it cuz my camera bites.

thanks all, steve

[mathias]

catippiller?

[bozack]

If they are small and white I have those things too.
what the heck are they?
First saw them when I was rinsing out the sponges in my overflows and saw them in the sink.

[Instar]

White things in sponges are probably tunicates. Do they move?

The "inch worm" you describe sounds like some nudibranches I've had. They were about 1/2 an inch or less and looked to me like they were galloping along like a little horse. Mine were gold to yellow colored and ate only algae. I got them with a live sponge. Never did try to get an exact id, only watch closely to see what they would feed on. I tossed one in a little 10 gallon before I knew they were hamless. Some species are not harmless, so keep a close eye on it. If it is a dangerous one and gets into its host, you will have a very difficult time seeing or removing it and it may kill is quarry before you catch it.

[Instar]

BTW, newly hatched nudibranchs are about 1/10 the size of the acro mites if you have been following that thread.

[Nano_Steve]

ok, im an idiot. i guess i never really looked at a good picture of a lettuce nudibranch before, its a little baby lettuce!!! he's really cool, i tossed him into my 2.5 gallon to keep a better eye on him, hopefully the water params wont get too out of whack for him to survive.

peas, steve

[Nano_Steve]

alright awesomeness! i went nudibranch hunting last night in my tank and found 2 more that i plopped into my little 2 gallon. once i get the 2.5 macroalgae tank up and running ill toss them in there for a good home!

take kare, steve

[bozack]

Tunicates might be what i have. Yes they do move just don't know if they are friend or foe
I've been worried that one is gonna end up in my system somehow when I am cleaning then we'll have a scene from "Aliens"

[GaryP]

Tunicates are a good thing. They are a sign of healthy live rock. They are filter feeders.

Gary