Caulastraea Protrusion spikes

[BTimms]

Today I noticed slime oozing from these spiked protrusions on my Caulastraea.
They seem to extend and retract. I can’t seem to find them on anatomy diagrams and such.

What are these protrusions?

 

[ThemytB]

vermetid snails

 

[BTimms]

vermetid snails

Really? They don’t move and seem to be a part of the coral structure.

 

[BTimms]

Now that I’m researching vermetid snails, I believe you are correct. How does one destroy them?

 

[Triggreef]

Break them off with bone cutters or plug the holes with glue so they die. Nothing eats them. No natural predators. Except maybe dogface puffers but they will eat everything else too.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Now that I’m researching vermetid snails, I believe you are correct. How does one destroy them?

Yes destroy! I have a few pop up here and there....break off and glue as @Triggreef mentions, or some say bumblebee snails will munch on them as well.... regardless they are a pain in the butt to your coral especially that close....

 

[BTimms]

Thank you all for the advice and information!
I will let the battle begin!

 

[ThemytB]

Just to add a little bit here, I have an old long scraper that broke, just the long handle left, I just reach it in and crush them with the tip, but they grow so fast when fed its impossible to kill them all, they are filter feeders and if they have lots of food they get very annoying- I made a point to starve them out once and it was close to working, maybe find one every month or so, but then my tank went nutrient 0- presumably from my over cleanliness and new stronger lights causing a dino outbreak. Now that I've finally beat the dinos, I'll keep my tank a bit dirtier and deal with these little jerks- they only seem to be a bother to anything when the sand gets stirred up and they goo all over everything catching whatever is in the sand.

 

[BTimms]

Just to add a little bit here, I have an old long scraper that broke, just the long handle left, I just reach it in and crush them with the tip, but they grow so fast when fed its impossible to kill them all, they are filter feeders and if they have lots of food they get very annoying- I made a point to starve them out once and it was close to working, maybe find one every month or so, but then my tank went nutrient 0- presumably from my over cleanliness and new stronger lights causing a dino outbreak. Now that I've finally beat the dinos, I'll keep my tank a bit dirtier and deal with these little jerks- they only seem to be a bother to anything when the sand gets stirred up and they goo all over everything catching whatever is in the sand.

Great advice.
I went on a hunting mission and crushed as many as I could find. This being a newer nutrient rich environment, probably helped them.