Has anyone seen this before?

[littlefishy]

This hitchhiker showed up after I added some snails from KP Aquatic. They grow a fan like some tall green fanworm, then it turns into a circle, then a single lobe. The lobe turns white and stops growing.

 

[jeffrey750750]

Never seen those before but pretty cool looking

 

[flsalty]

Acetabularia crenulata

 

[mtfish]

Mermaid's cup algae. Acetabularia

 

[Niteowl]

Flsalty is right. Common here in Fl

 

[littlefishy]

Acetabularia crenulata

Thanks flsalty, so it was the KP Aquatics FL keys order hitchhiker, and not the indo zoa order. Very interesting read. An algae and one of the largest single-celled orgs, can grow to 3". This will look neat as a contrast amongst the usual tank coral once they grow in.

 

[littlefishy]

Here is an updated pic of how the mermaid's cup grows out. It continues stacking "cups" on the same stalk.

 

[SauceyReef]

Just checking in - did it continue growing for you or eventually die off?

 

[littlefishy]

Was eaten entirely by an emerald I had to get for Valonia control. It prefered decorative macro.

 

[SauceyReef]

Was eaten entirely by an emerald I had to get for Valonia control. It prefered decorative macro.

typical emeralds