Cluster Duster?

[Beaudeaux7881]

A few months ago we purchased some “Cluster Dusters” with a fish order.

They fell from where there were, didn’t pick them up right away and yeah I thought they had got covered by sand.

Well now I see this on the rock near where the Cluster Duster had fell.

It looks just like it, except the color of the “duster” part.‍

Is this a cluster duster?

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Quite possible. Certainly looks like it

 

[Cell]

Looks more like hydroids or aptasia. It's hard to see.

 

[JGT]

Think it might be hydroids.

 

[Beaudeaux7881]

I will try to get a better picture in a few minutes we I get back home.

Neither sound good

 

[Beaudeaux7881]

A few months ago we purchased some “Cluster Dusters” with a fish order.

They fell from where there were, didn’t pick them up right away and yeah I thought they had got covered by sand.

Well now I see this on the rock near where the Cluster Duster had fell.

It looks just like it, except the color of the “duster” part.‍

Is this a cluster duster?

 

[hoardingcorals]

They look like colonial hydroids. If you can't remove the rock to scrape them off, I've had good luck with covering them with a big blob of epoxy/coral putty.

 

[MoshJosh]

As said above it could be some sort of pest, like hydroids, but ehh, I don't know. Do you have a picture of the original cluster duster for comparison. Also, are the tube portions of the new thing hard/calcified or are they squishy.

 

[Beaudeaux7881]

As said above it could be some sort of pest, like hydroids, but ehh, I don't know. Do you have a picture of the original cluster duster for comparison. Also, are the tube portions of the new thing hard/calcified or are they squishy.

Going to look for a picture of the cluster, I haven’t touched it…it’s crazy because I’m almost certain it looks identical to the cluster duster but the feathery part is different.

 

[MoshJosh]

Going to look for a picture of the cluster, I haven’t touched it…it’s crazy because I’m almost certain it looks identical to the cluster duster but the feathery part is different.

Yeah, it look to be partially in the sand, and in my, all be it limited, experience, having aptasia or hydroids grow out of the sand would be strange. Also, it would be pretty coincidental that you dropped a duster there and then a completely unrelated pest popped up in the same spot.

I'm no worm expert, but could the dusters "crowns" have changed due to stress, damage, or flow changes maybe?

 

[Beaudeaux7881]

Going to look for a picture of the cluster, I haven’t touched it…it’s crazy because I’m almost certain it looks identical to the cluster duster but the feathery part is different.

When it had fell off the rock the tube part looked the same color as the photo I originally posted here. Maybe I’m crazy :(

 

[Beaudeaux7881]

Yeah, it look to be partially in the sand, and in my, all be it limited, experience, having aptasia or hydroids grow out of the sand would be strange. Also, it would be pretty coincidental that you dropped a duster there and then a completely unrelated pest popped up in the same spot.

I'm no worm expert, but could the dusters "crowns" have changed due to stress, damage, or flow changes maybe?

I asked my husband to touch it to see if it stung him but he refuses lol

 

[Beaudeaux7881]

They look like colonial hydroids. If you can't remove the rock to scrape them off, I've had good luck with covering them with a big blob of epoxy/coral putty.

Thank you!

 

[oliverout]

I saw some social feather dusters aka cluste duster in the wild they dont look like this they look a lot times bigger. Maybe hydroids?????

 

[MoshJosh]

Yeah, I would just pick it up (probably should do so "safely") if it is a cluster of small hard tubes then I vote duster. . . if it is squishy and attached to the rock it's something else, probably hydroids at that point.