What the Heck is This Long White Fast Moving Thing

[ReefTanker91]

I was doing my nightly hunt of Cirolanid Isopods when I stumbled upon whatever this is. Probably not the best video but wasn’t expecting to see it.

Also is that a bristle worm it zoomed by or a fire bristle worm.

I uploaded the video to YouTube

 

[AydenLincoln]

Nothing attached. Do you have photos? Videos don’t load unless you are on a computer.

 

[jay1976]

Looks like a shrimp of some sort

 

[jay1976]

I was doing my nightly hunt of Cirolanid Isopods when I stumbled upon whatever this is. Probably not the best video but wasn’t expecting to see it.

Also is that a bristle worm it zoomed by or a fire bristle worm.

I uploaded the video to YouTube

It looks like this thing to me it's seems to be some sorted if iso pod just really big will send link now.

 

[kchristensen8064]

It kind of looks like a little mantis shrimp of some sort to me.

 

[jay1976]

I was doing my nightly hunt of Cirolanid Isopods when I stumbled upon whatever this is. Probably not the best video but wasn’t expecting to see it.

Also is that a bristle worm it zoomed by or a fire bristle worm.

I uploaded the video to YouTube

Here is the wright up I found.

Amphipod-chroestia lota- localy nicknamed Morton bay beach flea.
This one is endemic to east aus, more so south barrier reef to moreton bay to northern NSW and it is a bruiser!
If you can, check out it's weapons, sort of like a mantis!
The amphs weapon, our local amph has a whopper of this thing, its for territorial and breeding issues, our local big guy is a herbivore, that being said it has been known to eat the corals symbiotic algae, usually just xenia I hear cops it, but I have never had this happen, that I could see, lol.
Its not actually categorised as a weapon, but you should see them fight with them!
I have seen one big one kill 5 in seconds!

 

[ReefTanker91]

Yeah I’m not sure what it is. I emailed TBS to see if they know.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

That's most likely an Anthuroidean Isopod, but to tell for sure I'd need to see the tail from the top and the front "claws" (gnathopods) from the side (there are a handful of other critters - particularly some Amphipods and Ingolfiellids in this case, as the tail is visibly wrong in the video for a Tanaid - that look quite similar).

Anyway, if it's an Anthuroidean Isopod, then it's basically a big pod that hunts smaller pods:

Both should be harmless/beneficial - Tanaids are generally scavengers, eating detritus/herbivores, though a few eat worms and copepods; not a lot of research has been done on Anthuroidean isopod diets, but the few studies that have been done found they preyed on amphipods.

So, unless you have some really tiny crustaceans that you care about in your tank, they should be harmless too.

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

I'd like to take a shot at this. how about a Bathynellacea?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I'd like to take a shot at this. how about a Bathynellacea?

Similar look/body shape (vermiform), but Bathynellaceans are interstitial groundwater dwellers (fresh/brackish; not marine) and wouldn't be found in a marine environment.

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

Similar look/body shape (vermiform), but Bathynellaceans are interstitial groundwater dwellers (fresh/brackish; not marine) and wouldn't be found in a marine environment.

Similar look/body shape (vermiform), but Bathynellaceans are interstitial groundwater dwellers (fresh/brackish; not marine) and wouldn't be found in a marine environment.

Mesanthura?

Mesanthura kalaeloa

Mesanthura kalaeloa es un especies de animales con 2 observaciones

mexico.inaturalist.org

 

[windsor_salt]

looks like a baby mantis shrimp! how cool!

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Mesanthura?

Mesanthura is a genus of Anthuroidean Isopods - so I think you're on the right track there.

I still need to do a deep dive into the families and genera of Anthuroidea, but Mesanthura or relative is a solid guess.

 

[Vinaka_vakalevu]

Yeah I’m not sure what it is. I emailed TBS to see if they know.

Do you have TBS live rock? My first thought watching the video was mantis.

 

[ReefTanker91]

It is TBS rock but I found what it is. Only other report on that site shows it in Australia. Crazy.

Genus Haliophasma

Haliophasma is a genus of animals with 1 observation

www.inaturalist.org

 

[ReefTanker91]

Here’s also a screen shot of it still. Should I be worried about this guy in the tank?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

For anyone wondering, it's not a mantis shrimp (Stomatopod) - it doesn't have the eyestalks or the big raptorial appendages.

It is TBS rock but I found what it is. Only other report on that site shows it in Australia. Crazy.

Genus Haliophasma

Haliophasma is a genus of animals with 1 observation

www.inaturalist.org

Haliophasma species haven't been found in Florida's waters before, so I'd assume it's not that genus - but those are a kind of Anthuroidean Isopod, so you're getting closer.

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

Mesanthura is a genus of Anthuroidean Isopods - so I think you're on the right track there.

I still need to do a deep dive into the families and genera of Anthuroidea, but Mesanthura or relative is a solid guess.

how about Cyanthura polita?

( I had nothing else to do)

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

how about Cyanthura polita?

( I had nothing else to do)

The color is wrong, so I'd lean more toward Mesanthura still (and there are a number of Mesanthura species found around Florida).

That said, to key out the family/genus/species level at this point would require a variety of super clear, close up pics of the mouth and various mouth parts, antennae, tail (top and bottom), and legs (multiple specific pairs). So, unless OP gets a ton of really, really nice still shots, I personally wouldn't bother ID'ing beyond the superfamily level at this point.

 

[ReefTanker91]

The color is wrong, so I'd lean more toward Mesanthura still (and there are a number of Mesanthura species found around Florida).

That said, to key out the family/genus/species level at this point would require a variety of super clear, close up pics of the mouth and various mouth parts, antennae, tail (top and bottom), and legs (multiple specific pairs). So, unless OP gets a ton of really, really nice still shots, I personally wouldn't bother ID'ing beyond the superfamily level at this point.

Sounds good, I’ll see if I can tonight. That being said is this an undesirable to have for a reef tank per your knowledge?