SOMETHING reproduced

duberii · Apr 9, 2020

I woke up today and thought I let my tank level run too low because I saw hundreds of what I thought were bubbles. However, looking up close, they look like the free-swimming form of something, but I have no idea what. I can't take a picture since they're way too small, but I can describe them. They're a bit bigger than copepods, with an almost egg-shaped main clear body. However, they have a clear "tail" for lack of a better word. it comes out of the clear part and forks into two prongs. It swims by just flailing around, and they stay suspended in the water column for the most part.

I have a few blue legged hermit crabs, tons of LPS corals, nassarius snails, astraea snails, tons of cluster dusters, and some decorator crabs. I also have a brittle star, a bta, a scooter blenny, and a clownfish, but I doubt they're the parents.

I was also thinking it could be hydroid medusae, but they're not jellyfish looking at all. Anybody have any ideas?

duberii · Apr 9, 2020

Here’s a fun artist’s rendition:

35ppt · Apr 9, 2020

Sounds like crab larvae. Looks like this?

crab larvae at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

duberii · Apr 9, 2020

35ppt said:
Sounds like crab larvae. Looks like this?

crab larvae at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

It certainly could be, but the body literally looks as simple as what I drew- I can't make out eyes or anything. It's probably just not that developed, so it's gonna be hard to get a positive ID.

jeffchapok · Apr 9, 2020

As the father of a teenage son, I have my own theory...

Got any boys?

duberii · Apr 9, 2020

jeffchapok said:
As the father of a teenage son, I have my own theory...

Got any boys?

Im a 17 year old boy haha. Honestly good guess though I’m pretty stumped.

Mike N · Apr 9, 2020

From your list of inhabitants, the decorator crab seems like the only possible answer.
maybe your seeing this life stage of the larvae:

duberii · Apr 9, 2020

Mike N said:
From your list of inhabitants, the decorator crab seems like the only possible answer.
maybe your seeing this life stage of the larvae:

Seems possible. Are they hermaphroditic? I have 2 and one is either a different species or probably hasn’t reached sexual maturity since it’s much much smaller. That’s the only reason I’m not convinced.

Mike N · Apr 9, 2020

Ah I cannot answer that question with any certainty. Based on your list, it was the Prime Suspect

35ppt · Apr 9, 2020

duberii said:
Seems possible. Are they hermaphroditic? I have 2 and one is either a different species or probably hasn’t reached sexual maturity since it’s much much smaller. That’s the only reason I’m not convinced.

Crabs are not hermaphroditic, as far as I know, but do often times exhibit sexual dimorphism. I don't know for sure if Camposcia retusa does or doesn't but I would assume it does. Any photos?

Streetlamp · Apr 10, 2020

Is it a ghost flatworm?

KJ · Apr 10, 2020

copepods - Google Search

duberii · Apr 10, 2020

Streetlamp said:
Is it a ghost flatworm?

Definitely not any type of worm... it definitely seems like some type of larvae.

duberii · Apr 10, 2020

KJ said:
copepods - Google Search

I doubt it's a copepod... it's a bit bigger, and it definitely is something in a larval free-swimming stage of its life cycle. Not to toot my own horn, but it literally looks exactly what I drew. The "tail" definitely branches- it starts off as one tail then branches off from there- copepods have their 2 antennae come directly out of their body.