Help Identifying Pale Opalescent Blobs

[annihil8ted]

Hello! I've noticed these little pale blobs come out at midnight. They definitely move around and today I counted 2. Any ideas what these are? They've been in the tank for at least a month now and so far everyone is still doing okay

 

[Zymotic]

My first guess is a smaller type of chiton since it has that sort of shape.

 

[annihil8ted]

ah that’s not too bad, chitons are usually beneficial right?

My other thought was maybe a type of fleshy limpet?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Hello! I've noticed these little pale blobs come out at midnight. They definitely move around and today I counted 2. Any ideas what these are? They've been in the tank for at least a month now and so far everyone is still doing okay

Chitons are harmless, yes - but it looks more likely to me that you've got limpets there (zooming in, I think I can see a peak on their shells that chitons don't have; chitons have 8 plates on their back that look like a rolypoly shell, but limpets look more like a mostly flat tiny volcano, building up from the sides to a peak that for keyhole limpets ends in a little hole); I can tell you they would be Fissurellids (keyhole limpets) of some kind (eliminating some types of fleshy limpets like Tylodina species and Umbraculid species), but I can't say what kind specifically from the pics.

Most keyhole limpets are good, but a very small number are known to hurt SPS corals (and on very rare occasions, possibly some soft corals).

 

[annihil8ted]

Chitons are harmless, yes - but it looks more likely to me that you've got limpets there (zooming in, I think I can see a peak on their shells that chitons don't have; chitons have 8 plates on their back that look like a rolypoly shell, but limpets look more like a mostly flat tiny volcano, building up from the sides to a peak that for keyhole limpets ends in a little hole); I can tell you they would be Fissurellids (keyhole limpets) of some kind (eliminating some types of fleshy limpets like Tylodina species and Umbraculid species), but I can't say what kind specifically from the pics.

Most keyhole limpets are good, but a very small number are known to hurt SPS corals (and on very rare occasions, possibly some soft corals).

I think my Urchin might have killed one, I see a blob sticking to it which is very reminiscent of the ones in the photos

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I think my Urchin might have killed one, I see a blob sticking to it which is very reminiscent of the ones in the photos

It might be carrying one around (urchins tend to carry a lot of "passengers" including snails, corals, algae, etc.); if you don't see a shell, though, then it's probably still alive.

 

[annihil8ted]

It might be carrying one around (urchins tend to carry a lot of "passengers" including snails, corals, algae, etc.); if you don't see a shell, though, then it's probably still alive.

oh do they molt? I wonder if it picked up a molt? It's clear looking

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

oh do they molt? I wonder if it picked up a molt? It's clear looking

No, limpets and other snails don't molt (neither do chitons); [Edit:*] arthropods* (like crabs, isopods, amphipods, shrimp, etc.) molt though.