What the heck is this?

[anemonesaur]

Can someone help me identify this "thing"?
I just noticed it popping up underneath a rock.

Unfortunately that is the only angle I can photograph it, but I think it should be clear enough to see some distinguishing features.

I'm afraid it might be some kind of bristle worm that can shoot out it's mouth like alien, but now that I think of it, I don't have anything small in the tank for it to have eaten to have gotten this far except pods. The "fan" is about 1cm across, so it's pretty small, but I have no idea how far it goes since he's underneath rock. I almost looks like some kind of filter feeder with it's whiteish fans, but I guess they could also be gills....

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!

 

[WV Reefer]

Can someone help me identify this "thing"?
I just noticed it popping up underneath a rock.

Unfortunately that is the only angle I can photograph it, but I think it should be clear enough to see some distinguishing features.

I'm afraid it might be some kind of bristle worm that can shoot out it's mouth like alien, but now that I think of it, I don't have anything small in the tank for it to have eaten to have gotten this far except pods. The "fan" is about 1cm across, so it's pretty small, but I have no idea how far it goes since he's underneath rock. I almost looks like some kind of filter feeder with it's whiteish fans, but I guess they could also be gills....

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!

Best guess is barnacle. I have one under my pectinia that looks half shell half fan......It can retract completely.

Spiny oyster could also be possible.

 

[anemonesaur]

Best guess is barnacle. I have one under my pectinia that looks half shell half fan......It can retract completely.

Spiny oyster could also be possible.

Thank you for the insight. I did try to touch it with a stick, and it does retract completely and slowly comes back out. I'll give it a few days or weeks and hopefully it will get larger or move around and I can try to get a better picture.

 

[WV Reefer]

Thank you for the insight. I did try to touch it with a stick, and it does retract completely and slowly comes back out. I'll give it a few days or weeks and hopefully it will get larger or move around and I can try to get a better picture.

It’s really cool regardless.

 

[anemonesaur]

It’s really cool regardless.

It sure is! I love finding weird and random stuff living in my tank. The other day I found a whole colony of baby feather worms in back, and today, in addition to the barnacle, I found a small clam growing under my lobo. I love nature