Leeches living in the live rock.

[miss fish]

We have a leech I think. comes sneaking out of the live rock after the lights go off. 1" around, have not seen the tail but have seen 4" of body, cream/tan dark spots on head? (eyes) looks like the arm of a sandsifting starfish. Have not seen any damage yet but anyone have any information about this creature please pass along.

 

[steve-s]

Not a leech, sounds more like you have a flatworm or nudibranc

There are so many of these creatures that it would be shear guess work trying to figure out which one unless very common.

Any chance of posting a pic

Cheers
Steve

 

[tkos]

Leeches are generally freshwater from my experience, and they tend to be dark, almost balck in colour. So I would second the guess that it is probably some form of flatworm

 

[ReefLady]

looks like the arm of a sandsifting starfish

This leads me to believe that it could possibly be a common Bristleworm?

Look like this?

or -

There's quite a bit of color variation in these worms.

HTH,

 

[stresco]

I have never heard of a leach that lives in SW. I would agree with The ReefLady and say you have a Bristlworm.

 

[miss fish]

leech? flatworm?

Thanks for the quick reply I have had brisselworms and this is not it. This guy is round and fat. Will try pic. Do anyone have a pic. of Hirudinea? I thought maybe its this but have never seem a pic. of one. :?

 

[stresco]

go to

http://lakes.chebucto.org/ZOOBENTH/BENTHOS/xxvi.html

or

http://www.sidwell.edu/us/science/vlb5/Labs/Classification_Lab/Eukarya/Animalia/Annelida/Hirudinea/

 

[miss fish]

Thanks for the links, but my "creature" doesn't come close to any I saw. I'm going to try a digital photo at night when it's out to see if I can get a good enough picture to post. My creature has no antennae, is not flat, has no bristles. It looks totally smooth all around its conical body shape, and the eyes on the head almost look like two painted dots. Thanks again.

 

[reefrunner69]

Cuke??

 

[miss fish]

I don't know if its a cuke? but saw somthing close to it listed as a Crypotplax lavaeformis or a Holothruia (microthele) fuscogilva. But as the pictures give no size its really hard to tell. I tried to do the pic. thing but it must be Amish.

 

[reefrunner69]

http://www.reefimages.com/cgi-reefimages/page.cgi?list=Seastars&filename=Segar4076.jpg

 

[miss fish]

Kevin, just could be the creature. Do the these guys come in different color? Is that a hump on its back or just curving around the coral? I need to go find more info. Still trying to take pic. thnks for the link

 

[reefrunner69]

Do the these guys come in different color?

Yes, there are many different cukes.