Can Someone Help Identify This?

[Lonet0618]

I found 2 of these guys crawling on the glass in my sump. Are they reef safe or should I go about removing them?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Possibly a polyclad flatworm. Hard to tell

 

[theKoolAidMan]

Initial thought is flatworms, but I'd defer to someone more seasoned.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I'm thinking flatworm as well. Let's get the #reefsquad looking at this.

Without seeing the "tail" it's hard to tell, but my guess is Amakusaplana acroporae.

 

[saltyhog]

Man, I'm afraid to say what my first thought was. It looks a lot like this hitch hiker I had. Which I thought was a chiton.

 

[Lonet0618]

Man, I'm afraid to say what my first thought was. It looks a lot like this hitch hiker I had. Which I thought was a chiton.

Wow that picture looks identical. Should I go about removing them or would I be okay with them in my sump?

 

[KrisReef]

Take them into custody and give us a better picture. If they are a pest getting them out while you can and getting a proper ID will be helpful. Letting them crawl around and disappear will not.
If you get an ID and they are not harmful you can turn them loose later.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Confirmed.....Acropora eating flatworm....get it out....treat your acropora.

 

[Lonet0618]

Acropora eating flatworm....get it out....treat your acropora.

Okay, the thing is I don't have any coral in my system. It's only been running for 2 months now. Must have come in on some live rock from LFS.

I don't plan on adding any coral anytime soon either, but I guess I'll go on and remove them better safe then sorry.

Also, if gone untreated will they eventually die off without a proper food source.

 

[Lonet0618]

I managed to remove them here's a better look:

 

[KrisReef]

I'm still not sure what those are, but I am glad to see them in a safe location.

 

[KJ]

Chiton good grazing herbivore

 

[reef lover]

Def chiton +1

 

[DSC reef]

Another for chiton

 

[Lovemyreef2015]

Chiton, good guy

 

[redfishbluefish]

I would be the first to admit that my hitchhiker ID abilities doesn't even come close to @KJ or @reef lover. I've missed multiple times in my guessing hitchhikers.

However, I'm not convinced that we have chiton. The reasons....assumed ease of removal from the DT. Any time I've tried to remove chiton, they have the ability to stick to the substrate like grim death. The second reason is that I'm not seeing the typical segments in what I believe are top view pictures....the red pictures. Yes, it has the shape and apparent skirt, but.....

 

[DSC reef]

@Lonet0618 do the tops feel hard to the touch?

 

[KJ]

I would be the first to admit that my hitchhiker ID abilities doesn't even come close to @KJ or @reef lover. I've missed multiple times in my guessing hitchhikers.

However, I'm not convinced that we have chiton. The reasons....assumed ease of removal from the DT. Any time I've tried to remove chiton, they have the ability to stick to the substrate like grim death. The second reason is that I'm not seeing the typical segments in what I believe are top view pictures....the red pictures. Yes, it has the shape and apparent skirt, but.....

Paul my friend it is a chiton! Question is what spises? I'm not always right. It's hard to I'D sometimes.

 

[KrisReef]

I wasn't gonna come back and chime into this thread, but this morning my eyes pretty clearly do see a chiton in many of these pictures.

Last night they looked different(?) and I wasn't sure. I was busy posting at the same time as the OP who came back to verify that the chiton photo posted by @saltyhog looked "identical." I looked at the pictures again later last night and I really wasn't convinced by my eyes that it was a chiton.

This morning I see a chiton(s) too, but I swear last night the original photos looked more like a 3/4" translucent planaria with a pointy head and "obvious" internal organs.

I wish I could say I was drinking last night, but I wasn't, nor was I getting high with anything else here in CA. Getting old is getting old.

 

[KJ]

@Bob Loblaw @Sonofives