What the heck is this??????

[ScottK]

Hey folks. I was peaking in my tank this evening with my flashlight and found this little guy. At first I thought it was algae, but then it started to move its arms, one at a time, into the center, and open them up again. It looks like a basket star, but incredibly tiny. You can see the zoos for scale in the photo. Anyone have any ideas? It's definitely a critter, I've been watching it move now for 20 min.

 

[nanoreefer22]

Are ya talking about the greyish thing right above to the zoa's?

 

[inline6]

not sure where this critter is.

 

[joseney21]

what are we looking at??

 

[ScottK]

yeah, there are a few feathery arms stretched out right above the zoos

 

[inline6]

can you take a better pic?

 

[nanoreefer22]

Atleast I was lookng at the right thing only thing is ive got no idea what it could be...

 

[ScottK]

That's the best I can do. I used a tripod and everything. It's just really tiny, and the body is in a small hole, so it's hard to get a good shot.

 

[nanoreefer22]

It might just be a really odd feather duster? Thats my best guess....

 

[ScottK]

Here's another shot. Still blury, but more of the arms are out. It's really cool to watch.

 

[joseney21]

could it be some kind of feather duster??

 

[jenniebutterfly]

could it possibly be a sea cucumber? i know when feeding they shoot those appendages out that sorta look like that

 

[nanoreefer22]

I think it could be some kind of cucumber or something, I remember watching national geographic and they had something just like it but on a much bigger scale...did the same thing move the "feathers" in and out supposedly it was feeding...

 

[jenniebutterfly]

http://images.search.yahoo.com/sear...g+sea+cucumber&type=jpeg&no=13&tt=34&ei=UTF-8

 

[ScottK]

Not like any I've seen. It moves each arm independently, and there's a body at the base. Each arm coils and uncoils as it's drawn in as opposed to feather dusters that get pulled in. it's pretty slow and deliberate too.

 

[ScottK]

Hey cool, thanks jennie. I think it must be a cucumber. Gotta love the wierd stuff that comes out at night.

 

[jhale]

cool, take a video

 

[ScottK]

I tried to take a video, but my camera won't do macro focus in video mode. Grrrrr. I really need to get a new camera. I'm totally facinated with this thing.

 

[jhale]

move the rock to the front of the tank

 

[ctxmonitor]

or take him out and do a few photoshot with it..