Another Critter...this one was weird

[Jamie]

Hi all,

I'm sorry I keep posting these hitch hiker threads. I saw this slug looking thing just a couple minutes ago...and it's got me worried. It's pretty ugly looking and was spewing milky, cloudy stuff into the tank. It has two antenna like a snail, soft fat body about 3/4", and is very camoflaged. I haven't been able to get a picture yet...but when it comes out again, I'll be sure to try to get one...though very hard to see. It's tucked itself in a cave for the moment.

I'm guessing the spew was sperm or something and it was trying to reproduce....I don't know. My tank is finally starting to come around and I'm so paranoid that some weird creature is going to infest it and destroy everything.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

R, Jamie

[Mr Cob]

Maybe a Nudibranch of some sort???

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:bu0R5RZEmPLwvM:http://4glenns.us/fish/images/slug6.jpg (http://4glenns.us/fish/images/slug6.jpg)

or

Or a Stomatella snail???
http://www.thereeftank.com/photopost/data/500/10121SLUG2.jpg

http://www.thereeftank.com/photopost/data/500/10121SLUG2.jpg

I have the stomatella snails that let out this clowd/sperm looking stuff. Was sitting on the couch one day and saw what looked like smoke signals coming from the tank. I checked it out and saw the stomatella snail shooting this stuff out at a red legged hermit on the ledge above. Was pretty cool to watch. They multiply super fast and are always cleaning!

[Jamie]

Stomatella snail....hmmm....maybe...that looks like it could be the guy. Yeah, it was making smoke signals for sure....lol. And in the vicinity of a hermit too...so maybe it's the same scenario as you.

I wasn't able to tell if it had a shell or not. Initially I thought it did...then I had to run out to get my kid from school. When I came back (10min later) it was already in its cave.

So these guys are OK?

Thanks,
Jamie

[Jamie]

After reading up a bit, I'm almost positive it's a stomatella. The fact that the shell is so small relative to its foot kind of threw me. Thanks for the lead Rob.

http://www.reefcorner.com/SpecimenSheets/stomatella_varia.htm

[SoLiD]

That Stomatella was just feeding the tank. They release sperm and eggs into the water all the time. You just so happened to catch him\her. I've seen them do it plenty of times.

[Jamie]

Here's a the little guy in question. He just came back out and I snatched a pic. You can see that his foot actually goes up to the top right of the photo. Weird looking things.

[Mr Cob]

That be the Stomatella!!! Over the next few months you will start to see more. I noticed one then two then three and now i can't even count them. They are even in my sump! They do an amazing job cleaning.

And from what Solid is telling us...the smoke signals are valuable to the tank!!!

Super cool...glad you shared...brought a new enjoyment for me in my own tank with these guys.