Mantis shrimp hitchhiker?

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Was observing my tank at night, when I noticed something. Small, 1 cm or less, grayish/transparent. Incredibly quick, came out of a hole in the rock and looks like a mantis shrimp, was moving too fast to get a good photo but this is the best I got. I know the photos are very poor quality, though I need to know if anyone can confirm my suspicions. @ISpeakForTheSeas @EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal @WheatToast

Thanks!

 

[blaxsun]

The last image is the clearest but I still can't really make out much.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

The last image is the clearest but I still can't really make out much.

Haven't been able to spot it since, I'm looking specifically at images 3, 5 and 7. Any ideas? Anything ruled out?

@ISpeakForTheSeas
@EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

 

[paragrouper]

Not sure with the photos, but your description sounds like one. I had one in some live rock I purchased. I saw the hole in a rock he went into. I pulled the rock, held it over a mixing bowl and shot some hot water into the hole With a syringe. He popped right out.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

@i cant think any wrasses that will take care of this for me?

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Not sure with the photos, but your description sounds like one. I had one in some live rock I purchased. I saw the hole in a rock he went into. I pulled the rock, held it over a mixing bowl and shot some hot water into the hole With a syringe. He popped right out.

That just leaves me more confused. I started with dry rock and dip all of my corals. Maybe he was somehow in the galaxea rock I picked up last week?

 

[i cant think]

@i cant think any wrasses that will take care of this for me?

Honestly, your best bet is an aggressive Halichoeres species but this isn’t going to work with plans for other wrasses.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Haven't been able to spot it since, I'm looking specifically at images 3, 5 and 7. Any ideas? Anything ruled out?

@ISpeakForTheSeas
@EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

Most likely not a mantis - it's probably one of the three pods discussed below:

Tanaids do look similar, but as you've noted, they're not quite right. I'd put Ingolfiellids (a kind of amphipod) in this same category of close but not quite right due to the lack of antennae on your specimens.

My best guess is an Anthuroidean isopod of some kind (some have long antennae, some have very short antennae, and some don't seem to have antennae at all) - I've seen a few with the three pronged tails (two uropods and the telson), but I don't think I've seen one that would be an exact match for you here.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Most likely not a mantis - it's probably one of the three pods discussed below:

You're probably right. Looks like either a tanadis or Anthuroidean, are those harmful? I'll see if I can get a better photo tonight

 

[vetteguy53081]

Was observing my tank at night, when I noticed something. Small, 1 cm or less, grayish/transparent. Incredibly quick, came out of a hole in the rock and looks like a mantis shrimp, was moving too fast to get a good photo but this is the best I got. I know the photos are very poor quality, though I need to know if anyone can confirm my suspicions. @ISpeakForTheSeas @EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal @WheatToast

Thanks!

This isnt a mantis but reminds me of a specimen that often shows up this time of the year hence breeding time which is a lancelet which is a segmented worm that prefers substrate with shells and is a hitchhiker that scavenges. If they are thriving, you may be overfeeding or lacking in siphoning and maintenance. As mentioned, pics a little fuzzy to confirm

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

This isnt a mantis but reminds me of a specimen that often shows up this time of the year hence breeding time which is a lancelet which is a segmented worm that prefers substrate with shells and is a hitchhiker that scavenges. If they are thriving, you may be overfeeding or lacking in siphoning and maintenance. As mentioned, pics a little fuzzy to confirm

Lancelet? I personally don't think so, by now I doubt it's a mantis however this one definitely had legs and a tail fan which lancelets don't have. Also, yes, I never clean my sandbed and broadcast feed nightly

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

You're probably right. Looks like either a tanadis or Anthuroidean, are those harmful? I'll see if I can get a better photo tonight

Both should be harmless/beneficial - Tanaids are generally scavengers, eating detritus/herbivores, though a few eat worms and copepods; not a lot of research has been done on Anthuroidean isopod diets, but the few studies that have been done found they preyed on amphipods.

So, unless you have some really tiny crustaceans that you care about in your tank, they should be harmless too.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

@i cant think any wrasses that will eat it now?

 

[i cant think]

@i cant think any wrasses that will eat it now?

Smaller Halichoeres should go for most worms/isopods. So species like Halichoeres iridis, Halichoeres leucoxanthus and Halichoeres leucurus should go for it.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Smaller Halichoeres should go for most worms/isopods. So species like Halichoeres iridis, Halichoeres leucoxanthus and Halichoeres leucurus should go for it.

Dorvilleid worms are a kind of polychaete (polychaete=bristleworm) - they’re typically harmless/beneficial.


I’m struggling to see the worm clearly on my phone, but the white collars are found on a few different Eunicid worms (I know a few Eunice spp. and Leodice spp. for sure). These ones tend to be more predatory.

Will any wrasses eat these?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Lancelet? I personally don't think so, by now I doubt it's a mantis however this one definitely had legs and a tail fan which lancelets don't have. Also, yes, I never clean my sandbed and broadcast feed nightly

As stated- pic a little fuzzy to confirm.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Sorry I'm a little late to the party, but I don't have anything to add... Pics are a little to blurry for me to see anything that stands out as an identifying feature, but my best guess is an amphipod.
For it to be a mantis, I would expect that live rock would need to have been added to the tank recently since I think they grow relatively quickly... in other words you would have seen it before now.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Sorry I'm a little late to the party, but I don't have anything to add... Pics are a little to blurry for me to see anything that stands out as an identifying feature, but my best guess is an amphipod.
For it to be a mantis, I would expect that live rock would need to have been added to the tank recently since I think they grow relatively quickly... in other words you would have seen it before now.

I'll see if I can get a better photo tonight, seemed to have spears/claws but so do tanadis