Hermit Shell Hitchhikers

[MBliss81]

Can anyone tell me what these things on my electric blue hermit's shell are? I can't seem to get a pic to load properly on here, so here is a link to some pics on my Flickr page:

Electric Blue Hermit Crab | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[MBliss81]

Please Identify If You Can

Here are the pics I was trying to get on here earlier.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking at... or where I'm supposed to be looking. But are you seeing a thing that looks kind of like a slug? Because if I really want to, I'm *kind* of seeing what *could* be a nudibranch. Maybe.

Is it just left of center of the crab's shell... facing the camera?

Oh... and you need one of these:

http://www.marinedepot.com/Mag_Float_Magnet_Cleaner_%28Glass%29_Floating_Algae_Magnets-Mag_Float-MF1111-FIMTAMCMFM-vi.html

 

[MBliss81]

Sorry, I should probably point out what to look for if I want help, right? There are two small something's that look kind of like a polyp or anemone. They come out of a little shell-like encrustment on the hermit's shell. It can retract into this shell thing, almost like a feather duster. Sorry it's hard to see. I cleaned the algae off the glass and did a water change shortly after taking these pics. I just wanted to get the pics while he was right there, and I could see this thing.

 

[MBliss81]

It's literally right in the center of the first picture.

 

[Zer0]

Alright, i'm going to take a leap here, but after staring at the second picture, right in the middle where you are suggesting, it kind of looks like two small feather dusters. Do they pop in and out of the crabs shell at all?

 

[MBliss81]

Yeah, they suck in real fast whenever they get too close to anything. That's what I'm hoping they are. They just aren't as pretty as all the pics I've seen of feather dusters.

 

[mr_X]

yep. feather dusters.

 

[MBliss81]

I noticed another one on the other side of the shell. The hermit ditched the shell for a larger one a couple days ago, but I'm leaving it in the tank. Does anyone know if the feather dusters will spread and multiply? That would be great to have a little colony of feather dusters growing in my tank.

 

[mr_X]

they do. those aren't the type that get large and colorful though. they stay about that size.

 

[MBliss81]

Good to know. Thanks.