Very flat isopods (sphaeromatidae?), and is this one of the OK asterina-types?

Tired

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Check out what came off a new frag I just got. There were also a couple dozen of those reddish-brown flatworms that can overpopulate and blot out the light for your corals, but I sucked all the flatworms out and coral dipped the frag. Most of these guys came off from some vigorous pipetting with clean water, then the last few came off in the iodine dip and were rescued.

They're so flat I initially thought they were some kind of flatworm, they swim in rapid circles when you scare them, and they curl up when disturbed. They make funny little UFO shapes when curled up, they're too flat to be a ball. I assume these guys are detritivores, since they have tiny eyes. There were half a dozen big ones lined up neatly along the divot on the bottom of the frag disc, and most of the rest of 'em were hiding in a gap under the coral.

Anyone recognize em? They're cute little things. I kinda hope I can get some established. I also got a few gammarid-type amphipods and some munnid isopods, but I already have those in my tank, so they're less interesting.

(Though I think I might have a few of these already. I found a couple in an amphipod culture awhile back, put them in a cup to examine, and then accidentally emptied that cup into my tank instead of the cup with the amphipods I meant to feed off. Whoops.)

zisopods.jpg zisopods 1.jpg zisopods 2.jpg
 
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Tired

Tired

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Oh, yep, that last picture is exactly what I have! Thanks. I'm excited to hopefully get these established in my tank for some variety. There must have been loads in the LFS tank for there to be this many on the frag, so they apparently do well in aquaria.
 

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