ID this and I'll be impressed (and grateful)

[Anonymous]

It came attached to one of my pieces of maricultured Okinawan rock. It hasn't moved since I first noticed it and is hard to to the touch, but has a slime coating. I've not noticed it getting noticeably larger, but it might have done slightly. I had taken the piece of rock out to remove some Dictyota (you can see some in the shot, I stopped halfway through my scraping off of Dictyota to take the photo), so this shot was taken out of water.

Any ideas?

[rimg]http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab238/TheEscapedApe/Long%20awaited/P1010051-1.jpg[/rimg]

 

[Anonymous]

I've been told they are colonial tunicates. Pretty cool.

 

[Anonymous]

Are you sure its not a chiton of sorts?
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Ch ... a=N&tab=wi

 

[Anonymous]

Cool, whatever it is 8)

 

[Anonymous]

I would like to say chiton too, but their shell is almost always symmetrical. This is very unusual animal for sure.

 

[Anonymous]

I would say flatworm if it moves.

 

[Anonymous]

Chitons invariably have 8 shell plates. It is not a chiton.

I'd say colonial tunicate too based on the photo and description. Can you get a shot of it underwater?

 

[Anonymous]

does it have siphon holes? can you see it move (breath)?

 

[Anonymous]

Chitons invariably have 8 shell plates. It is not a chiton.

I'd say colonial tunicate too based on the photo and description. Can you get a shot of it underwater?

Yeah, it's not moved from exactly the same position on the rock for 6 months now, so it's not a chiton or flatworm.

I'll try and get an underwater shot this weekend when I have a go at the Dictyota on the left hand side of the tank.

does it have siphon holes? can you see it move (breath)?

No siphon holes that I see. No sign of breathing either. But it's an awkward position to view most of the time so it's possible I've missed stuff.