Id This Please!?

Now that I've got your attention...

e12pilot got a few clams on his live rock and this is one of them. What the heck is it and whats growing on it (other than my crabs who are all over it)

Tubeastrea - AKA Sun Coral

Looks like its not in the best of shape. Have you checked it after lights out?

Yeah, I was thinking that same thing. No, I haven't seen it after lights out cause I just got it from him today. We're both trying to figure out what all the stuff on his rocks are, and specifically what kind of clam that is. If that stuff is sun coral dont I have to feed it?

Yeah, you need to feed it. You also need to check it at lights out after a tank feeding. This will usually make the polyps come out and you can get a better view at night.

Feeding it will be useless for a while if you just added it to your tank. They take a week or two to get accustomed to their new homes.

The reason its not ORANGE is because it hasent fed. Its not healthy or the water quality is really bad. More than likely, its because it hasnt been fed on a regular basis.

Originally posted by AbSoluTc

Tubeastrea - AKA Sun Coral

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO ........

Phyllangia americana "hidden Cup Coral"

possibly Colangia immersa also.

they are like sterlet corals. reletives to galaxea.

usualy associated in areas high in orange sponge.

they are common on gulf and keys rock... they unfortunately are highly succeptable to RTN and bacteria infections.

I DID have one colony grow well for a while... it fell in the sand unseen and.... well. didnt resurface.

Ding ding! We have a winner. At least it seems like it. He got his rock from gulf-view (http://www.gulf-view.com) and it has a lot of orangy sponge. Theres a lot of that stuff all over the rocks, actually. However... any idea what kind of CLAM that is?

its not a clam. its more in the scallop family. look at the underside back near the hinge. there are "wings" at the edges.

Im not sure of species, but they are referred to as "turkeyWings"

by divers. Sea Otters and Gulls like to eat them.

EDIT: on second look, it MIGHT be a decorator clam. it is a species that stuff seems to grow on the shells quite easily and "hides" the clam.

Dave,

Thanks for the ID. I wasn't sure if these were clams or something of the scallop family. Any idea if these guys get all bright and colorful, or are they pretty boring? Hopefully the other 4 I have will survive the cycle. Sure looks like a clam though :-)

Peter

P.S. Thanks Jeff for tanking the picture, and posting it.

Hey, I just found this is the coral part. Any idea what it is? Im still trying to get better pics but my camera isnt cooperating.

looks like stubby sweepers. they act like cillia and dirrect food to the coralites. it DEFINATELY is a Sterlet. Medhigh flow, LOTS OF LIGHT. ya can feed it too. I like to let the waters go slack in my tanks fer a 1/2 hour and I give them Decapsulated brine and DT/s

the clam eats detritus and holo/phyto zoo planktons. they are not as collorfull as the tridnaca species, but do have some irridessence in the mantels that need a lill light.

HTH

It's all the same... it bleaches easily when roughed up or out of light.