Something Sprouting from Hammer?

[KyRo]

I just noticed these tonight since my hammer coral usually shrinks when the lights start to go dim. Around the base of my hammer, there are little sprouts coming from it. Does anyone know what these are? There are about 4-5 of these that go around almost the whole thing.

Please also note that my flow is NOT that high. I turned the powerhead towards it really quick to move it so I could take a clear pic.

I noticed the one in the second picture and noticed it went almost all the way around the base. Anyone have any idea of what these are?

 

[NISMO703]

Could you get better/closer pics? They look like baby heads sprouting out though.

 

[Vinman]

Hammers are sprouting! :) IMO... my frog spawn do the same thing...more frogs. Looks like you have branching hammer?

 

[KyRo]

Could you get better/closer pics? They look like baby heads sprouting out though.

Trying my best, but the more I zoom, it gets super blurry. The seem to be purple though.

Hammers are sprouting! :) IMO... my frog spawn do the same thing...more frogs. Looks like you have branching hammer?

Ahh really? That's awesome! It seems like a lot at one time though, I counted all around the base and there seems to be about 7 of them.

 

[Vinman]

Trying my best, but the more I zoom, it gets super blurry. The seem to be purple though.




Ahh really? That's awesome! It seems like a lot at one time though, I counted all around the base and there seems to be about 7 of them.

Sometimes instead of heads splitting they shoot sprouts and expend till they reach massive proportions

 

[KyRo]

Sometimes instead of heads splitting they shoot sprouts and expend till they reach massive proportions

Wow... That thing is massive lol

 

[reef lover]

Vermetid snails. Crush or epoxy over.

 

[Vinman]

Vermetid snails. Crush or epoxy over.

Need better pic close up

 

[KyRo]

This is as close as I could zoom so the quality went to ****.

 

[GlassMunky]

They are baby heads growing out the skeleton just like these

 

[KyRo]

How can I tell if they’re the snails or not?

 

[GlassMunky]

How can I tell if they’re the snails or not?

They are not.
You can clearly see in your photos the polyp of the coral.
Also vermitid snails form a spiral sort of shell on top of the skeleton which I also don’t see in your photos.
I’m 95% sure it’s a baby coral growing.

 

[GlassMunky]

This is what vermitids look like. Notice how they spiral and how there is no “head” on top.

 

[ReefGrammie]

My first thought was vermetid snails, but I'm not sure from the pictures. If they're baby heads, they will look like little bits of cauliflower sprouting, like in the picture by @GlassMunky.

 

[homer1475]

I'm thinking baby heads also.

As others have pointed out, they do not have the "spiral" cone shape vermetids have. Also vermetids don't sprout out of the cone, they shoot out a mucus web.

 

[JCOLE]

It appears to be baby heads also the way that all of them seem to be in a perfect line.

 

[KyRo]

Thanks everyone. I was gonna say it looks like little purple sprouts starting in the ends of them. Also I’m not sure if it matters but it seems like they’re all on the same part of the coral that goes around in a circle.

 

[reef lover]

Just watch them if theyre snails theyll cast a web. If theyre babies theyll grow...

 

[Vinman]

Just watch them if theyre snails theyll cast a web. If theyre babies theyll grow...

Should be able to see small polyps if they are hammer

 

[NISMO703]

Don't worry, those are not vermetid snails. Looking at your pics again, those are definitely baby heads sprouting.