tunicate or sea squirts

[runamukus]

I have a piece of LR with pink sea squirts all over it...I'm wondering if I should worry about the stuff growing all over the tank. Anyone have any suggestions on this little creature?

[robby]

I'm no expert, but I don't think you should have any problems. The larval stage is free swimming and looks kind of like a small fish. My best guess is if they did reproduce, the larae would be eaten or sucked up into filters/pumps. Just keep them fed, and they should be ok.

[dwdenny]

they are the same thing are they not? http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artaug98/tuni2.html

[runamukus]

thanks for the input. After looking around online, I am having a difficult time finding somthing that looks like what i have...which is making me think that it isn't a sea squirt. I'll try to post pics...but here goes my best to describe it:
It is pink, soft to the touch, you can see an opening where water is going in/out. It is flat on the rock and doesn't look like a tube...more so looks like someone smushed pink bubble gum on the rock. You can see that it is filter feeding. I can see that it is spreading too, there are more on the same rock and I have even seen a patch on a different LR at the other end of the tank, small but its there. Maybe tonight I'll get some pictures up and someone can say "YEPPERS! its a whatchamacallit"

[GaryP]

It could also be a sponge. In either case its probably not a problem. Its just a good sign of biodiversity.

There are thousands of species of both tunicates and sponges so its not surprising that you aren't able to find a pic online. Both are very ancient groups of critters and very diverse.

[Isis]

That is weird, we are having a similar discussion on those guys.. Follow this link to see some that were found in one of our tanks. http://www.marshreef.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=110895#11 0895

[runamukus]

That is weird, we are having a similar discussion on those guys.. Follow this link to see some that were found in one of our tanks. http://www.marshreef.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=110895#11 0895

The color is right! I have some pics but I don't know if they are gonna be clear enough. But they are smilar to that but the body has small holes in it...I think that the thing is sucking in water though its body and pushing it out through the larger tube. The pic in the link is close but my little creatures tube is shorter and without any other colors. Here are some pics...I'm not good enough yet to get awesome pics yet...one of them is up close and the other is not zoomed...the one that is not zoomed you can see the other ones on the bottom of the rock.

Is it a sponge? Tunicate? Sea Squirt? One reason I was thinking that it was a sea squirt is because I had the rock out of the water for around 30 seconds...I thought that sponges die when exposed to air...anyhow...let me know what you all think and thanks for looking.

[Isis]

I think those may be sponges. They have siphons as well, but tunicates are more individual. They can be in colonies, but each has it's own siphon. It will look more like a bunch of siphons packed together compared to a few in a larger mass, which seems to be what you have.

[runamukus]

I think those may be sponges. They have siphons as well, but tunicates are more individual. They can be in colonies, but each has it's own siphon. It will look more like a bunch of siphons packed together compared to a few in a larger mass, which seems to be what you have.

actually...due to the picture being hard to see...they seem to have many tubes sticking out...the other side has like 3 or 4 tubes...the closeup is just on one of them...they seem to be clustered together with many tubes. My photography does not doi its justice :unsure

[Isis]

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ascidians.htm
Here are some great pics of various species of tunicates. Turns out I have one to that was misidentified by someone else. Cool!!

[runamukus]

You may be right, they may be sponges...but they survived some time outside of water which after extensive reading says that sponges will die if they are exposed to air...I must have some tough sponges. I guess that I should consider myself in good shape if I can keep sponges alive, by good shape I mean that I have a tank established enough to support delicate life. I thank everyone that has taken a look at the pics and tried to ID for me.