Unknown new polyp pest found!

Graffiti Spot · Jun 5, 2016

So we found a very odd pest on some new corals. We are currently watching them in a dedicated tank to understand what they are and what damage they do. It seems to look like a flatworm but it's actually kind of oval shaped and is solid white, looks more like a small tear shaped white slug actually. It's size is the same as a pen point but what we think are adults have been slightly bigger. What we have noticed is they only irritate the polyp when on them and have not damaged the flesh. The polyp will close when the pest is on it. The pest will sit in one spot and slowly move around the polyps, it can move fairly fast when traveling. This could change and flesh could be damaged in the long run but have not seen any damage yet.
No idea if they are egg layers yet, but we are very experienced and have never seen anything suspicous. We have not seen them anywhere in the tank other than on mainly palys so far, but our guess is they will affect zoanthid as well. They are very easy to suck off the colonies with a pipette, so that's good. But we don't know much about them yet and we will update this thread with macro pictures and maybe micro pics if they take well while on the slide. We will also post any info we learn on them while watching.

If anyone has any information on what these are please let me know. If anyone has dealt with them please chime in on your experience.

We are almost positive these came from someone on one of the Facebook trading and selling sites. Although this does not matter to me, but maybe people using these sites can be more careful and maybe even catch this pest before it's to late.

Please be careful trading and selling everyone. Dip and qt your corals properly if your hobbiest seller, people expect clean corals when trading and buying from hobbiest. We have come across to many people who don't dip and or qt and are selling and trading. With the high heat coming in and tank temps going up I believe the pest posts will be more often, aefw posts are already blowing up.
Also if you are shipping corals please learn how to bag things and package them with the CORRECT heat packs. Even if your a hobbiest you need to pack things professionally or else it reflects bad on you and also can cause major stress to your shipped corals.

jsker · Jun 5, 2016

I picture would be nice

Graffiti Spot · Jun 5, 2016

We are going to take macros of them today, very wierd pest for sure. It definatly looks just like a white tear shaped sea slug. I am sure the macro pics will tell us a lot but we have been to busy to take any yet.
They seem to be fairly resistant to dips and we are experimenting with what the best dip is. Their numbers are finally up to the point where we can experiment now.

Graffiti Spot · Jun 8, 2016

Will post pictures today. Very wierd pest for sure, pictures are decent for such a small pest. Some of them are an orangish pink color and some are white. Still no visible damage but we will see. They definatly irritate the polyps and keep them closed shut. They are very resilient and survived a few types of normal coral dips.

No one has had experience with these? We think they are a smooth skin type of nudibranch. With so many people on here I would think someone would have came across them. They are for sure in hobbiest tanks, at what numbers I have no clue. People should closely inspect colonies that are closed for these.

Naiad · Jun 8, 2016

Waiting for pictures. Interested to see what this is

Graffiti Spot · Jun 9, 2016

Best we could get during a quick dip.

Graffiti Spot · Jun 12, 2016

Really no one? The orangish balls are curled up pests, you can see their black eyes. They also flash spots of white like polka dots along their body. The one large view of the white one is the same pest but in an earlier stage I am guessing before it's eaten much.
Another thread I posted had someone state that they like orange palythoa. I have not noticed much damage other than the closed up polyps when the pest is on the coral. I am guessing they are eating the slime on the palys, which they are on mainly. I haven't seen them on the few zoa frags in this tank.
We have not found any eggs, which is wierd. And there have been no explosions of babies leading me to think that there have been unhatched egg groupings. Or maybe they lay small single eggs?

I am surprised there has been only one poster in both threads who has seen these. No one has any guesses, experience or suggestions?

They don't get transfered by forum posts

Tahoe61 · Jun 12, 2016

The first images looks like a Amphiscolops, see link below.
http://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhiker.shtml

The orange unknowns are perhaps a Nudibranch. Specifically what type of corals did you introduce? The unknowns may not even be pest just a harmless hitch-hiker.

It's early here in the states hence the reason few replies.

Graffiti Spot · Jun 12, 2016

I agree, I think they are a smooth skin type of nudibranch not the kind with frills all over it. They are definatly keen on palys and only affect polyps. They came from a hobbiest we bought from online. The other person I found has them in the display tank and confirms all our experiences. They are hard to kill with dips and they irritate the polyps which keeps the affected colonies closed. So far they seem similar to red bugs in the way they affect the coral. They have to suck them out with a turkey baster to keep the numbers down. Which is surprisingly easy, only the small ones are so hard to see. They also sais the white ones are newer and haven't eaten enough of whatever they eat to get color. I still haven't seen actual bite marks but we haven't taken pictures of them on the corals yet to see up close what's going on. We will get that done here soon.

I am only surprised no one has seen them or felt like discussing them. The post has been up for a number of days. I appreciate any advice or thoughts as to what they are or could be.

dbrewsky · Jun 12, 2016

the blobs appear to be some form of planaria

Graffiti Spot · Jun 12, 2016

Yea the white version that looks like a slug at first seemed like a flatworm. Do flatworms have distinct eyes though? I am definatly not convinced of what they are at all. An expert on this topic would be nice to talk to but i don't know anyone or anywhere to ask but here.