Extremely fast moving mystery creature

The Life Aquatic · Sep 21, 2024

I realize this post will likely be impossible to solve but I'm going to try anyways.

Looking in the tank at night with a flashlight...Just peaking over the edge of an Acan colony was something that seemed to be oval but couldn't tell since I could only see the edge of it. It seemed like a limpet type shape but any time I shined a light on it it would retreat behind the coral.

So I decided to pick the colony up to get a better look and I swear whatever this thing is it bolted faster than anything I've ever seen. It shot off right into the water and out of sight before my brain could even process what happened.

I know my description is terrible but any ideas? The speed of this thing was beyond comprehension...faster than anything I've seen to date.

praba775 · Sep 21, 2024

Sure its not an amphipod. They can move quite fast when threatened. But by the way you are saying it, I dont know. Amphipods are kind of oval shaped and mine are around brownish colouration. If you see it again try to take a picture before disturbing it.

IKD · Sep 21, 2024

How big was it? Was it slender/slithery or more like a mosquito/gnat? I tend to think Amphipod also as above.

The Life Aquatic · Sep 22, 2024

The part I could see was at least the size of a nickel so seems quite a bit larger than an amphipod unless there are larger ones I'm not familiar with.

IKD · Sep 22, 2024

The Life Aquatic said:
The part I could see was at least the size of a nickel so seems quite a bit larger than an amphipod unless there are larger ones I'm not familiar with.

Maybe an isopod of some sort