Got a fuzzy little thing?? Bad guy?

[mdpitts]

Hi Folks, I’ve been meaning to throw this out there for a while. I searched but I’m not sure if I was a good describer of my critter. It’s adorable if it isn’t going to turn into a many-headed monster. I think I first saw this as one little star shaped polyp about 3 months after I set up my Evo 13.5. You could only see it at night under deep blues as a tiny fluorescence. Then about 6 weeks ago I saw it on the the side of the rock work where it has stayed. It’s about half the size of my pinkie nail.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

If it has a skeleton, it might be galaxea ... if not, maybe GSP?

 

[Goaway]

Looks like pocillopora spawn to me.

 

[mdpitts]

I have a pocillopora and I agree the fuzziness resembles that but it is on a fuzzy looking rounded base. Kind of a mounded shape overall with groups of green polyps that seem to go around in circles.

 

[mdpitts]

If it has a skeleton, it might be galaxea ... if not, maybe GSP?

Eeee I don’t know if I’d like a Galaxea - they are beautiful but I’ve heard they are pretty aggressive. It doesn’t have a skeleton though. It’s like a tan fleshy colored mound at the bottom. With my day lighting on it it almost impossible to see on the rock. I think the polyps retract in brighter light too. I actually forget it’s in my tank it’s so small and hard to see. I’m pretty sure it’s not a “pest” but I’d really love to know what it is so I can learn more about it.

 

[tobster]

Hi Folks, I’ve been meaning to throw this out there for a while. I searched but I’m not sure if I was a good describer of my critter. It’s adorable if it isn’t going to turn into a many-headed monster. I think I first saw this as one little star shaped polyp about 3 months after I set up my Evo 13.5. You could only see it at night under deep blues as a tiny fluorescence. Then about 6 weeks ago I saw it on the the side of the rock work where it has stayed. It’s about half the size of my pinkie nail.

Following because I have exact same thing in my quarantine tank. Hopefully someone knows what it is.

 

[mdpitts]

Following because I have exact same thing in my quarantine tank. Hopefully someone knows what it is.

Yeah, I think mine is a teeny one of your little one. It has the same circular polyp set up. Blends right into the rock with any white light. I wonder if we’ve bought any corals from the same place…

 

[paragrouper]

Your pictures are a bit hard to make out the details. Do the polyps look similar to the ones on the foreground rock?

 

[mdpitts]

They do. Is that a Goni? The polyps aren’t fleshy though. I guess they are sort of like thin led filaments. Like some kind of disco 80’s decoration bought at Spencer’s at the mall. Check out Tobster’s image too. I think he has one that is like mine but maybe grown a bit more.

Love your corals by the way.

 

[paragrouper]

Thank you.

It is not a Goni. It is a blushing star. It came as a hitchhiker on live rock I got from Tampa Bay Saltwater. I thought it may be similar to yours given the way this one looks under deep blues. Also your description of its flesh.

 

[dan’s tanks]

Looks like a ball anemone to me. The ones I have aren’t nearly as colorful though.

 

[mdpitts]

Thank you.

It is not a Goni. It is a blushing star. It came as a hitchhiker on live rock I got from Tampa Bay Saltwater. I thought it may be similar to yours given the way this one looks under deep blues. Also your description of its flesh.

Hmmm, now that I look closer I think it does look similiar. Yours is probably a little older and just more "fleshed out". I looked at it last night with a red flashlight and it did look like the picture you took in while light with its polyps retracted.

 

[mdpitts]

Looks like a ball anemone to me. The ones I have aren’t nearly as colorful though.

I was going to say similar but not it until I googled and found this older R2R post. This person's is identical to mine and even for a second I thought it could have been a photo taken by me because it is in the exact type place on a pointed part of the rockscape. So weird.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ball-anemone.882158/

 

[mdpitts]

Following because I have exact same thing in my quarantine tank. Hopefully someone knows what it is.

This is getting more confusing and there are two trains of thought on this post

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ball-anemone.882158/

 

[mdpitts]

If it has a skeleton, it might be galaxea ... if not, maybe GSP?

Wellllll, I may have doubted too soon. I should have googled galaxea - if you want you can scroll down to see another post almost exactly like mine - they are saying galaxea as well. Thank you - you are one of my R2R heroes by the way.

 

[tobster]

Yeah, I think mine is a teeny one of your little one. It has the same circular polyp set up. Blends right into the rock with any white light. I wonder if we’ve bought any corals from the same place…

I was wondering the same thing and yes when white light is on you can barely see it.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Wellllll, I may have doubted too soon. I should have googled galaxea - if you want you can scroll down to see another post almost exactly like mine - they are saying galaxea as well. Thank you - you are one of my R2R heroes by the way.

Honestly it was just a guess.
Glad I could help.