ID Please???

[kchristensen8064]

So I just discovered this critter on the shell of one of my new snails does anyone know what it might be? It has one tube with what looks like two creatures coming out of it. It has some feather duster qualities but just looks weird so i'm not quite sure that's what it is.

 

[fragmatic]

OK if I'm right this is really strange.

I used to tie fly fishing flies. It is an art form where you mimic insects in the water. Learning the life cycles of those insects is a key part of the science. Many flying insects actually start out in the water. Several make tubes of small bits of rock and sand. As they develop they eventually leave and go to the surface to exit the water to mate. The males die and the females return to the water to lay eggs. Could be one of those.... see why I said it would be really strange. They eat pods mostly or plant life. I doubt they will harm anything in your tank... IF.. IF ....I'm right... ??? shrugg...

The large ones catch and eat small fish, guppy sized. If I can tell size this one looks really small. The majority are tiny almost unseen insects called midges. The tube they build is to protect them from being eating by fish. Two in one tube may be rare, but you can imagine how few of these we are able to see in the real world. As they grow they use their pincers to grasp more sand type matter and glue it to the end of their tube to make it longer and stronger. Generally the dangerous larger types live under the rocks like bristle worms and not like these... IF .. IF I'm right.. You may have a really cool reef life form process to watch.

 

[kchristensen8064]

Hummm? I know exactly what you're talking about. I live in Colorado so very familiar with fly fishing. So the tube is solid, just like the little white tube worms that are commonly found in marine aquariums. And it/they appear to have a fan type thing it's just weird because there are 2 of them in 1 tube. It just doesn't look like the ones I commonly see...

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[fragmatic]

Hummm? I know exactly what you're talking about. I live in Colorado so very familiar with fly fishing. So the tube is solid, just like the little white tube worms that are commonly found in marine aquariums. And it/they appear to have a fan type thing it's just weird because there are 2 of them in 1 tube. It just doesn't look like the ones I commonly see...

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Wouldn't that be interesting? I'm thinking the fan like parts are the legs and feather like gills. The gills would look like moth antennas. Two is REALLY interesting. Now, this is salt water so we may be seeing an insect we know little about as fly fishers. AND ..I have the midge part wrong it is a different family of insect, midges do not use the tubes.

I would be in shock if I'm right.. it would be cool though.

 

[Fishman5]

Looks like a Christmas tree worm

Tommy

 

[fragmatic]

Does it look like this??

 

[Fishman5]

I need a more clear photo but if it looks lik 2 feather dusters "sharing" one hole than it is probably a Christmas tree worm


Tommy

 

[kchristensen8064]

I took a couple dozen pics with the macro and these were the best I could get. I'll try again in the morning to get some better ones though.

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[kchristensen8064]

Wouldn't that be interesting? I'm thinking the fan like parts are the legs and feather like gills. The gills would look like moth antennas. Two is REALLY interesting. Now, this is salt water so we may be seeing an insect we know little about as fly fishers. AND ..I have the midge part wrong it is a different family of insect, midges do not use the tubes.

I would be in shock if I'm right.. it would be cool though.

That would be pretty fascinating. But I would then soon have some unknown insect in/on my tank, not sure the girlfriend would be ok with some weird bug running/flying around the house! LOL!

 

[kchristensen8064]

I need a more clear photo but if it looks lik 2 feather dusters "sharing" one hole than it is probably a Christmas tree worm


Tommy 

So I googled Christmas tree worms and i'm pretty sure that its not those, I looked through tons of pics of them and couldn't find one that came close to resembling what this thing is?

 

[kchristensen8064]

Ok, so I finally got some more pictures, hopefully these are a little better? IDK they are so small I can't get a good look. I need a good magnifying glass!

 

[kchristensen8064]

Bump?

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