Hitchhiker coral

[Heathcliff37]

Hello, I found what I believe to be a coral growing, although it could be something like a tunicate. It started out tiny, but recently it's been growing insanely fast and I quite like it! I'm just curious what it is. It will also move its position slightly, and when it does it closes up and turns a slight red. Each "poly" also will noticeably extend and retract, which is what made me think it was a tunicate since the movement was reminiscent of a pumping motion.

Some of my live rock is from South Florida, and some is from the fish store’s general tank that had corals from all over the world, so the mystery coral could have it’s origin from anywhere.

I’m including photos of its progressive growth.



Here it is as a tiny baby

In the photo below you see it closed up, red, and on the move (albeit extremely slowly).

Any help is appreciated, thank you so much!

 

[Goaway]

Colonial tunicate.

 

[madmarks]

+1 on Tunicate

 

[UkiahTheTurtle]

Wow that looks really cool

 

[MaxTremors]

Colonial tunicate.

Agreed. I find them super interesting. It’s a shame some of the prettier ones are so difficult to keep alive long term, there are some just insane looking ones.

 

[blaxsun]

Agreed. I find them super interesting. It’s a shame some of the prettier ones are so difficult to keep alive long term, there are some just insane looking ones.

Anything I find in my tank never looks like those!

 

[Heathcliff37]

Wow that looks really cool

Thank you! Yes, I really like it especially since it's so healthy.

 

[Heathcliff37]

Agreed. I find them super interesting. It’s a shame some of the prettier ones are so difficult to keep alive long term, there are some just insane looking ones.

It is a shame indeed. I honestly think that keeping dirtier tanks is key to many of these more "difficult" invertebrates. I've had cephalochordates, which are notoriously difficult to keep, because my tank was so filthy.