Critters on Hammer Coral

[MikeO5422]

I am looking for opinions on what these little "bugs" are. They are on a very old hammer coral. The hammer has had some heads slowly die. At first I suspected other issues, but I recently saw these. I have not seen them on any other coral, and I have lots of other LPS.

Any opinions are appreciated. I have very little experience with these types of pests (assuming they are pests). Side note, my Corris Wrasse now circles the hammer all day

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Red bugs? @ISpeakForTheSeas!

 

[EricR]

Maybe consider sucking a couple out with a turkey baster and putting into small container with a little bit of water for better pictures/video?

 

[MikeO5422]

Maybe consider sucking a couple out with a turkey baster and putting into small container with a little bit of water for better pictures/video?

I'll see if i can get them under a microscope.

 

[MikeO5422]

I'll see if i can get them under a microscope.

I failed spectacularly. Ill have to try again in a couple days.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Yeah, microscope pics could help, but my best guess would be black bugs:

Pest copepods (red/black bugs of genera Alteuthellopsis, Parategastes, and Tegastes)?
https://reefs.com/magazine/aquarium...measures-and-a-review-of-treatment-protocols/
https://av.tib.eu/media/55499

 

[MikeO5422]

Awesome read thank you.

I finally got a video of one...that was very challenging. This thing is slightly red tinted and incredibly small. It is very difficult to find even in a drop of water. These are also the best pics I could get. He has a tiny red dot on his head.

Removed him from the base of a frogspawn polyp with a tiny dropper. They appear as tiny red and black dots on the coral frogspawn.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Awesome read thank you.

I finally got a video of one...that was very challenging. This thing is slightly red tinted and incredibly small. It is very difficult to find even in a drop of water.

Removed him from the base of a frogspawn polyp with a tiny dropper. They appear as tiny red and black dots on the coral frogspawn.

Great video an pics! Yeah, I'll do some more reading up on copepod morphology and see if I can't figure out a more specific ID, but I'm guessing it's a coral-parasitic copepod species.

 

[MikeO5422]

Thank you for your help!

I think it looks very similar to this - https://humble.fish/community/index.php?threads/ok-give-me-the-bad-news-are-these-black-bugs.15077/

Interestingly a section of my slimer started to STN a week or two ago. I just cut it off and threw it out, never looked closely at it.

 

[MikeO5422]

Another decent picture of them on the frogspawn.