Several Hitch-hikers, confirmation on ID's pls

[mdownes157]

Hi all, I have bought some "used" live rocks and have a few hitch-hikers. Other than the tiny bristlestars and an even smaller sea star, I have also seen a bristleworm that I think is a common bristleworm, and some anemone like creatures, no more than 2cm across opened, in a rose color and uncolored. They do move around and are easily dislodged from the rock work. Also a couple of bivalves, for which my main question is how to tell if they are alive or dead. Do they always open when they die? My 2 are tight shut!

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

The anemones sort of look like Aiptasia but I'm not solid on that ID #reefsquad

The worms are bristleworms. Try to remove the big birstleworms (longer than your little finger) but leave the small ones since they are good clean up crew members at that size.

The clam/mussel looking things are perfectly harmless and good filter feeders.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

After looking at it a bit more, I'm convinced that most of the anemones are some sort of majano anemone, they're just as bad as aiptasia and need to be removed.

However, the white one is throwing me for a loop. It may be a baby bleached majano, but it almost looks like some sort of newly formed corallite with it's mouth structure. I'd take it out though if it's in a hard to observe spot because it might crawl off and multiply

 

[Maritimer]

With the possible exception of the little white one, all those anemones look like Aiptasia to me. Annoying, especially when they take over the display.

Bristle worms are fine to have around, but don't try to pet them. The bristles along their sides are like old-school fiberglass insulation. Great little cleaner-uppers, which can squirm into places other critters can't.

Most bivalves will open a little when they're awake and filtering food from the water column - they'll open a lot when they're dead, as a general rule. Yours doesn't look dead to me.

~Bruce

 

[mdownes157]

Many thanks both, had my suspitions that they might be aiptasia. Thanks for the info on bivalves Maritimer, have found a couple more totally different ones as well, and maybe some more that appear alive but have grown into the rock? Not too sure yet but keeping my eyes on them

 

[DSC reef]

I'm going with aptaisia, bristleworms and bivalve.