What the heck is this?!?!?

[Isis]

Okay, we were looking at the tank to see how the new additions were adjusting to their home and then I get the regular question of "what is this thing?" And then when I approached the tank all I could say is "I don't know and get me the camera quick!" :o

Can someone out there please help me identify this obvious hitch-hiker?

[Ram_Puppy]

looks like a sea cucumber, not sure what type though.

[RobertG]

No Idea, Yank it out until we can ID it. That thing looks like it could cause serious havick on a tank.

[adamRS80]

I would be more for the approach of leave it there until you figure out whether or not it's bad. Just because it's ugly doesn't mean it's going to kill something.

[RobertG]

I would be more for the approach of leave it there until you figure out whether or not it's bad. Just because it's ugly doesn't mean it's going to kill something.

Ok Leave it then it starts something bad & you cant find it... It is isolated right now, later could prove to be bad.
Obviusly this thing moves quickly, not something I would like to find out about later.

[adamRS80]

I agree that it would be bad if it hurt something in the tank. I just think the approach of removing or killing something because of not knowing what it is or whether it's harmful is not the best approach for the hobby. I totally agree that it could be bad but it could also be okay, or maybe even benefical. I sometimes think it's best to allow nature to do it's thing...unless of course we're talking about the "red mites" which I had and whiped out like the plague.

[Isis]

Here is a pic of its underside.

[Ram_Puppy]

are those tufts of spines coming out the sides? if so, it is probably a form of polychate... (bristle worm) it's hard to tell with the photos we have.. if it is a worm, what does it's mouth structure look like? After observing it, have you seen it feeding on anything? it's habbits and behaviors?

[Ram_Puppy]

oh, and what were your new additions... live rock?

[mathias]

looks like a bristtle worm that watched KING AURTHER and got itself some armor...

[Isis]

I am going to try to remove it today, if I can find it again. Luckily my tank is fairly small and there is only a few pieces of rock. I was going to add my CPR today, so I will put it in there for the time being. Ron Schimek suggested it be a sea cuke or something, but I will have to get better pictures when I isolate it.

I can say that from what I observed, the mouth parts are definitely hard to identify, but it looks like it has whiskers in the oral region. I wlso saw what appeared to be primitive eyes, like black spots that were more of a light sensor than anything.

The rock was obtained from Reefsavers here in Houston because they were dismantling a 700 gallon SPS tank, of which the rock was mostly from Florida.

I will update soon....

[Isis]

So far, the only thing that I can find online that resembles this creature is a scale worm, or polynoid.

[Isis]

It didn't look like it had retractable tusks, just whiskers at best.