Looks like a baby urchin?

Sk8erSpanky · Jun 9, 2018

Sorry for the very low quality of the pictures. Found this guy today. It looks like a tiny version of my urchin. Any guesses?

**added- when i poked it with my feeding syringe it was hard and didnt retract. It is also in a hole the size of it, not sure if it made the hole or just found the perfectly shaped hiding apot

cloak · Jun 9, 2018

Majano anemone.

Sk8erSpanky · Jun 9, 2018

cloak said:
Majano anemone.

No. Sorry i should of added, when i poked it with my feeder, it was hard.

Swoody · Jun 9, 2018

If it is in fact a Majano...must be killed immediately!!!!...Ok edit...first pic came in better for me and does not really look like Majano. I guess you'll know when it is on the other side of tank tomorrow that you may have an urchin. Is this new rock or did you recently add something that could have brought it along??

cloak · Jun 9, 2018

Rock Boring Urchin perhaps?

Sk8erSpanky · Jun 9, 2018

Sk8erSpanky said:
Sorry for the very low quality of the pictures. Found this guys today. It looks like a tiny version of my urchin. Any guesses?

Swoody said:
If it is in fact a Majano...must be killed immediately!!!!...Ok edit...first pic came in better for me and does not really look like Majano. I guess you'll know when it is on the other side of tank tomorrow that you may have an urchin. Is this new rock or did you recently add something that could have brought it along??

this piece of live rock i got about 2 months ago. So im assuming it came with it. My other LR has been around awhile. I fogured its an urchin but just not sure what type and if its reef safe. Im trying to do some research before I take it out.

Sk8erSpanky · Jun 9, 2018

Hopefully tomorrow I can get some better pictures. This phones camera sucks

cristata.reef · Jun 9, 2018

It's an Echinometra. Do you know where the LR originated from?

Sk8erSpanky · Jun 9, 2018

Sonofives said:
It's an Echinometra. Do you know where the LR originated from?

Got it from my local fish store. The piece was a perfect fit for my tank so I had to have it lol. No idea where it came from, but I will ask him monday.

Sk8erSpanky · Jun 9, 2018

Sonofives said:
It's an Echinometra. Do you know where the LR originated from?

I want to say i overheard him telling someone its from fl a few years ago. But then again it was a few years ago and i could be getting my lfs mixed up lol

Sierra_Bravo · Jun 9, 2018

I get a kick how anytime anyone ever posts a picture that even borderline looks like it may have tentacles it is a majano or aiptasia and must be destroyed. Now. With fire.

It's a juvenile urchin as Sonofives pointed out. I had urchins hatching seemingly out of nowhere for months after introducing TBS live rock from FL into my tank. I'd notice them when they got to be about the diameter of a pencil eraser. Their bodies are more flattened when they are young and they like to take shelter in small depressions in the rock or abandoned barnacles during the day and then come out to feed at night.

What type of adult urchin do you have currently?

Sk8erSpanky · Jun 9, 2018

Sierra_Bravo said:
I get a kick how anytime anyone ever posts a picture that even borderline looks like it may have tentacles it is a majano or aiptasia and must be destroyed. Now. With fire.

It's a juvenile urchin as Sonofives pointed out. I had urchins hatching seemingly out of nowhere for months after introducing TBS live rock from FL into my tank. I'd notice them when they got to be about the diameter of a pencil eraser. Their bodies are more flattened when they are young and they like to take shelter in small depressions in the rock or abandoned barnacles during the day and then come out to feed at night.

What type of adult urchin do you have currently?

It is kind of my fault for taking awful pictures too lol. I have a long spine urchin. Its been around for about 4 years. After poking it woth the syringe, i did notice it flattened out a bit, it was neat. Im just hoping that i can find out if this one is reef safe so o dont have to kill it if I dont have to.

Sierra_Bravo · Jun 9, 2018

Sk8erSpanky said:
It is kind of my fault for taking awful pictures too lol. I have a long spine urchin. Its been around for about 4 years. After poking it woth the syringe, i did notice it flattened out a bit, it was neat. Im just hoping that i can find out if this one is reef safe so o dont have to kill it if I dont have to.

The ones I had were Florida Purple Spined urchins, which are a type of rock boring urchin. I'm not sure if yours is a rock boring or not, but for what its worth I let a number of them grow to adulthood and the only thing they ever did was graze coralline off the rocks and the glass on occasion. I ultimately gave them away because I had a lot of acro frags and they would occasionally knock them over. I never had one eat or otherwise damage a coral.

I say let it grow and see what species it is. Chances are good you can take him to your LFS if you don't want him in the future.

Sk8erSpanky · Jun 9, 2018

My long spine eats coraline as well, but it doesnt bother as its barely noticable. Ill keep a close eye on him for now (thats if ill ever be able to fond him again). Lol. Once i talk to the guy at the LFS im sure ill have a better idea what what kind. Il also try to take better pictures tomorrow as these didnt really help lol.

Sierra_Bravo · Jun 9, 2018

They grow fast - you'll see him again.

All mine went from this size (3/8"):

to this (about 2.5" across) in about five months:

Good luck!

.

Sk8erSpanky · Jun 9, 2018

Sierra_Bravo said:
They grow fast - you'll see him again.

All mine went from this size (3/8"):

to this (about 2.5" across) in about five months:

Good luck!

.

Wow that is fast! Mine looks EXACTLY like your little guy!!!

NoWaiAma · Jun 9, 2018

Too cool

ThunderGoose · Jun 10, 2018

Ditto with all the urchins. I got three longspines and one still unidentified shorter spines urchin. I had to rehome the longspines due to tank size but I still have the other one and haven't had any issues (other than carrying stuff).

Good hitchhiker.

cristata.reef · Jun 10, 2018

Sierra_Bravo said:
I get a kick how anytime anyone ever posts a picture that even borderline looks like it may have tentacles it is a majano or aiptasia and must be destroyed. Now. With fire.

It's a juvenile urchin as Sonofives pointed out. I had urchins hatching seemingly out of nowhere for months after introducing TBS live rock from FL into my tank. I'd notice them when they got to be about the diameter of a pencil eraser. Their bodies are more flattened when they are young and they like to take shelter in small depressions in the rock or abandoned barnacles during the day and then come out to feed at night.

What type of adult urchin do you have currently?

Yea the ones you have are another type of Echinometra species. They actually dig their own hole into the rock with their teeth. If you ever go to Hawaii, the Cook Islands, etc, you'll see what I'm talking about. They are surprisingly strong and are known to bore into cement pier-pilings within a few weeks

cristata.reef · Jun 10, 2018

ThunderGoose said:
Ditto with all the urchins. I got three longspines and one still unidentified shorter spines urchin. I had to rehome the longspines due to tank size but I still have the other one and haven't had any issues (other than carrying stuff).

Good hitchhiker.

If you post em I can try to ID them .I ID wild urchins from across the globe anyways so I can give it a shot