Weird hitchhiker on turbo snail shell

[FishRN]

Just saw this weird alien thing on a turbo snail shell its base is neon green and it has a long sweeper with fingers on the end. These are the best pics I could get

 

[logibear]

Going to need pics under white lights. Way to hard to make out with so much blue

 

[FishRN]

Going to need pics under white lights. Way to hard to make out with so much blue

 

[StartingATank]

Chalice????

 

[FishRN]

The sweeper was just like 7inches long and when I turned the lights white it instantly retracted

 

[FishRN]

Chalice????

I’ve actually never had a chalice do their sweepers normally have the hand and fingers on the end?

 

[FlemFlam86]

It kind of resembles a corallimorpharia to me. I had several on my live rock. They are very cool filter feeders and haven't caused any problems for me.

 

[KrisReef]

It kind of resembles a corallimorpharia to me. I had several on my live rock. They are very cool filter feeders and haven't caused any problems for me.

Agreed on the visual, but looking on AI the softies don't have long sweepers, so this seems to be a hard coral based upon the sweeper reported? Very cool hitchhiker, for sure!

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Hard to say for sure from the pics and description, but I think I see little tentilla coming off of the sweeper there, so my first thought would be a benthic ctenophore:

That's a Benthic Ctenophore - a benthic comb jelly. You can see the tentilla (the mini tentacles shooting off the main one) that are a good giveaway; the tentacles will lead back to a little blobbish shaped pressed flat on the surface.

It's generally recommended to get rid of them:

Generally speaking, you'll want to remove benthic ctenophores to be safe (my understanding is that some are harmless pod-eaters, but others can eat small fish).

 

[Rocks reef]

Looks like a digitate hydroid to me. You mentioned it retracted when the lights came on... matches a digitate hydroid. They have a single, whip like strand

 

[FishRN]

Hard to say for sure from the pics and description, but I think I see little tentilla coming off of the sweeper there, so my first thought would be a benthic ctenophore:

I think you’re right on the money. It’s an eel tank so I don’t think I have to worry about it swallowing up an eel so I guess it’ll stay.

 

[FishRN]

Looks like a digitate hydroid to me. You mentioned it retracted when the lights came on... matches a digitate hydroid. They have a single, whip like strand

Actually it kind of looks like some of the digitate hydroid pictures on google too so maybe you’re right?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I think you’re right on the money. It’s an eel tank so I don’t think I have to worry about it swallowing up an eel so I guess it’ll stay.

Actually it kind of looks like some of the digitate hydroid pictures on google too so maybe you’re right?

if the main string has a bunch of little strings coming off, how long are the little strings? Digitate hydroids have short ones (like little nubs rather than strings) while comb jellies have long ones.

For example - comb jellies:
https://reefbuilders.com/2015/05/28/coeloplana-benthic-ctenophores-living-nose/Digitate hydroids (most likely a Zancleid hydroid of some kind, currently presumed to be in the genus Zanclea):
https://pl.reeflex.net/tiere/7144_Zanclea_sp01.htm#

 

[FishRN]

if the main string has a bunch of little strings coming off, how long are the little strings? Digitate hydroids have short ones (like little nubs rather than strings) while comb jellies have long ones.

For example - comb jellies:
https://reefbuilders.com/2015/05/28/coeloplana-benthic-ctenophores-living-nose/Digitate hydroids (most likely a Zancleid hydroid of some kind, currently presumed to be in the genus Zanclea):
https://pl.reeflex.net/tiere/7144_Zanclea_sp01.htm#

It’s one long smooth string with what looks like a bead on the end with 5 fingers branching off

 

[Rocks reef]

if the main string has a bunch of little strings coming off, how long are the little strings? Digitate hydroids have short ones (like little nubs rather than strings) while comb jellies have long ones.

For example - comb jellies:
https://reefbuilders.com/2015/05/28/coeloplana-benthic-ctenophores-living-nose/Digitate hydroids (most likely a Zancleid hydroid of some kind, currently presumed to be in the genus Zanclea):
https://pl.reeflex.net/tiere/7144_Zanclea_sp01.htm#

Thank you for this! I was trying to remember the name and all I could remember was Digitate.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

It’s one long smooth string with what looks like a bead on the end with 5 fingers branching off

Odd. Any chance you could get a clear, close-up picture of the bead and fingers?

The description sounds like a hydroid polyp (and I think I see what you're referring to in some of the pics, which would line up with that), but I don't know any that would have just five "fingers," and while there are a few with smooth stalks, I don't know that any would be this lanky or get to ~7" long (admittedly, though, I haven't looked too much into the length of really any non-stony hydroids at this point).

 

[FishRN]

Sorry I’m trying to find the snail he’s been quite mobile since the invader arrived