Sea squirts, freind or foe?

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Anyway, got an abnormal amount of tunicates aka sea squirts in my system. And while they don't seem to be causing any irritation to my LPS they're definitely surrounding them. They prefer the undersides of large cut coral colonies (makes sense considering most of mine are large slabs of wild caught lps). I've heard that they're normally harmless filter feeders however they can smother colonies. So, would like to hear your experiences/opinions on them, let them be or pluck them off and toss them into my sump?

Calling the coral/hitchhiker experts for this one

@ISpeakForTheSeas
@EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
@encrustingacro
@i cant think

Thanks!

 

[WheatToast]

Might also be sponges. Do they retract/close up when disturbed?
Edit: The vaselike shape is closer to that of a tunicate, but I just wanted to make sure.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Might also be sponges. Do they retract/close up when disturbed?
Edit: The vaselike shape is closer to that of a tunicate, but I just wanted to make sure.

Yep, definitely not sponges, transparent bodies, retract when disturbed and haven't caused recession (so far), as for the pineapple sponges and orange encrusting sponges... let's say my Duncan wasn't too fond of them

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Might also be sponges. Do they retract/close up when disturbed?
Edit: The vaselike shape is closer to that of a tunicate, but I just wanted to make sure.

Forgot to mention, you can see in the first photo they have the valve opening on the top, which also a sea squirt characteristic.

 

[i cant think]

Anyway, got an abnormal amount of tunicates aka sea squirts in my system. And while they don't seem to be causing any irritation to my LPS they're definitely surrounding them. They prefer the undersides of large cut coral colonies (makes sense considering most of mine are large slabs of wild caught lps). I've heard that they're normally harmless filter feeders however they can smother colonies. So, would like to hear your experiences/opinions on them, let them be or pluck them off and toss them into my sump?

Calling the coral/hitchhiker experts for this one

@ISpeakForTheSeas
@EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
@encrustingacro
@i cant think

Thanks!

They should be harmless but a predator would be best to make sure they stay harmless… although, knowing your corals they may also be at risk from most predators.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Honestly, I've only heard of extremely invasive tunicates (Botrylloides and Botryllus are the most invasive genera I'm aware of) growing over corals, and even that I've only heard of happening like once (Reef Builders did an article on it - the species was tentatively ID'ed in the article as Botrylloides leachii).

Personally, I'd let them be and just remove them if they start overgrowing the coral.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Honestly, I've only heard of extremely invasive tunicates (Botrylloides and Botryllus are the most invasive genera I'm aware of) growing over corals, and even that I've only heard of happening like once (Reef Builders did an article on it - the species was tentatively ID'ed in the article as Botrylloides leachii).

Personally, I'd let them be and just remove them if they start overgrowing the coral.

Good thing, I've only ever seen them growing on cut skeleton in dark crevices, they are on the edge of some colonies (most notably platygra, though there is one on the edge of a leptasrea and 2 under my wilsoni) so far I haven't seen them actually on the tissue/polyp, and I doubt they can, as they’ve been there for a month or two. though they definitely cover the bottoms of these colonies. Thanks!