Little_Lisa_Reefer Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 So, I was reading on here and someone posted a picture of a barnacle when I realized that that is what is living inside my poor fungia. Is there any way to get rid of it? Will my fungia die? I love my fungia and now I'm devastated. The barnacle has been in my fungia since I got it I think. I've had my fungia for about 2 months and it seems to be doing fine. It is too small to take a photo of but it looks just like this: I've found a little information on parasitic barnacles, but all of you always know so much more through experience than through reading so I figured it would be best just to ask...thanks in advance. poor fungia Link to comment
thejanitor86 Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 i have had 2 barnicles in my tank now for a couple of months and have had no problems. just a cool filter feeder. and i often seen then on rocks that have various corals on them at the lfs. and i think they only are parisitic for thinks like oysters because those are what i always see them on. . Link to comment
dshnarw Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 That is a coral barnacle. It is not parasitic on corals, oysters, or anything else it may attach to. It is commensal - it benefits while the other organism is not harmed, nor helped (a variety of symbiosis). It chooses to settle in coral heads for the protection of the coral's stinging tentacles. The barnacle is a filter feeder like tube worms, and is closely related to shrimp. This is easily noted because of the fan shaped appendage that sticks out - parasitic barnacles (which are found on crabs and shrimp) do not utilize those appendages. Link to comment
Little_Lisa_Reefer Posted July 3, 2007 Author Share Posted July 3, 2007 That is a coral barnacle. It is not parasitic on corals, oysters, or anything else it may attach to. It is commensal - it benefits while the other organism is not harmed, nor helped (a variety of symbiosis). It chooses to settle in coral heads for the protection of the coral's stinging tentacles. The barnacle is a filter feeder like tube worms, and is closely related to shrimp. This is easily noted because of the fan shaped appendage that sticks out - parasitic barnacles (which are found on crabs and shrimp) do not utilize those appendages. so much for this being an "advanced" topic, you make it sound totally easy. thank you so much! Link to comment
dshnarw Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 so much for this being an "advanced" topic, you make it sound totally easy. thank you so much! eh...no problem. I have 2 in my torch and I took several paleontology/marine biology classes in college that dealt with barnacles Link to comment
AaronJ Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 Thats a relief I just noticed that a piece of acro I picked up 2 weeks ago has 2 barnacles on it. I tried googling barnacles to find if they are harmful and found nothing so I was just about to post a topic on it. Thanks for the info! Link to comment
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