Small black tentacles coming from rock/frag

[adamsjus002]

Hello Reef friends,

A couple days ago I noticed some tentacles 2 of them to be specific coming out from a rock I just recently put a GSP frag on. They appeared to be black in color and very small. no longer than an inch from inside the rock. I will try to get pictures next time I see it. But does anyone have any ideas what it could be?

 

[JTP424]

Possibly brittle star, difficult to confirm without pics!

 

[RandomUser7]

If they have a little curl I'd bet it's aptasia.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I'm thinking aptaisia, but need a pic to confirm

 

[adamsjus002]

If they have a little curl I'd bet it's aptasia.

I certainly hope not! It retracted back into the rock though, is that something aptasia does?

 

[bobnicaragua]

Aptasia will grow and usually be out unless disturbed. If you’re lucky they’re little brittle stars that will reproduce.

Turn off your flow for 10 minutes and use a syringe to squirt kalkwasser paste on the aptasia. I’ve also had good luck with peppermint shrimp eating them.

 

[RandomUser7]

I certainly hope not! It retracted back into the rock though, is that something aptasia does?

When they get poked or disturbed they'll retract.

 

[ナイトコア猫]

Is it a tad translucent?

 

[Duffer]

I certainly hope not! It retracted back into the rock though, is that something aptasia does?

Yes

 

[Mark Goode]

My guess is a brittlestar.

 

[adamsjus002]

I wasn’t able to get a picture because it retracted as soon as I grabbed my phone. But I noticed little spiky looking tentacles with the striped pattern sticking out of the rock. I quite confident it’s a micro brittle star!

 

[chitmonj]

Just to confirm - Have a quick google search for digitate hydroids

Sometimes they look a lot like what you are describing.

 

[adamsjus002]

Here are the tentacles I was seeing.

 

[NjMikeD83]

100% a brittle star. They are good guys, basically free CUC. You will mostly see this happen during feeding time, they are hoping to get a bit of the food floating around.

 

[ナイトコア猫]

100% a brittle star. They are good guys, basically free CUC. You will mostly see this happen during feeding time, they are hoping to get a bit of the food floating around.

For the big ones that one buys as pets, I target feed them when I feed corals—LPS (mysids) and SPS (BRS Reef Chili), in feed mode with pumps (including powerheads) after dark, when you see them with arms poking out from rocks. The tiny ones may not eat something as big as mysids, but Reef Chili might work; if you like, perhaps you may wish to experiment with food sizes.

If you target feed them, you may get more of them. If you have great eyesight and look very carefully, you can see them take pieces of food towards its centre. Obviously, feeding too much obviates their contributions, but once every one or two weeks isn't so bad I think. As @NjMikeD83 says, they're great for your tank and I would add that they look super cute as well.

Sometimes I find them when I dip corals, and then I use a white plastic spoon to scoop them out to safety