What the heck are these? Do these eat coral

[KayBabe785]

About 2 weeks ago I notices after lights our these little guys in the glass. I've searched and searched and found matching pictures but no post anywhere has led to a definitive answer. Some say 'Sand Skaters' and they're harmless, some say a type of isopod, and the list goes on.

Fast forward to a few days ago and I noticed one of my Trachy has some receeding flesh. it wasn't much and near a frogspawn so I moved it farther away. Then 2 days after that I noticed my teal stylo is missing tissue. Still gets full extention during day, then today even more tissue gone. The Milka stylo near it has no missing tissue The Trachy flesh is receeding a little more. I dipped both today and in each dip both had these bugs. To be fair, bugs were on the plug or rock area where there is algae and before that I only saw them on the glass near algae so maybe that's what they were doing. I've never seem them where the flesh is damaged on either.

I did pull some out. They are not a chiton, a snail or a worm. The definitely have legs. They look very similar to a potato bug/pill bug. The are very flat, and don't have that typical rounded rise-up like Isopods often do. the biggest I've seen is smaller then the size of the diameter of a pencil eraser.. Can someone please help! What are they? anyone eat them?

 

[Jekyl]

Stomatella?

 

[WheatToast]

I would agree with Sand skaters which should be harmless, though I am not so sure about the corals (I am not a coral expert).

 

[damsels are not mean]

anyone eat them?

I have never eaten them myself, no, but I can't see why any benthic predator (wrasse, mandarin, pipefish) wouldn't. No idea what these are so I am curious to find out.

 

[Bribo12]

They’re a type of isopod. Sphaeromatid isopds. I have a ton in my tank. Have never harmed corals.

 

[KayBabe785]

Stomatella?

Definitely not. Not a snail. I had them on my fingertip. They can curl up, and they for sure have legs and crawl

 

[KayBabe785]

Ok, so I found pods eating at the stylo just now after lights out. I would assume pods aren't coral eaters but if it's dying for another reason, I suppose they'd pick of the dying flesh/polyps? Thoughts?

 

[KayBabe785]

He's a photo

 

[Current Tides]

Ok, so I found pods eating at the stylo just now after lights out. I would assume pods aren't coral eaters but if it's dying for another reason, I suppose they'd pick of the dying flesh/polyps? Thoughts?

yeah but I wouldn't rule out the possibility that they'd eat live polyps. maybe differing species have diff preferences too. I could see a scavenger type animal picking at corals, but also not.

 

[damsels are not mean]

Ok, so I found pods eating at the stylo just now after lights out. I would assume pods aren't coral eaters but if it's dying for another reason, I suppose they'd pick of the dying flesh/polyps? Thoughts?

I think it's dying and they're eating dying flesh.

 

[WheatToast]

I think it's dying and they're eating dying flesh.

Agreed!