hitchhikers on my live rock need an ID

H

Hammond

New Member
Hey there
I recently notice hitchhiking things on my live rock they are purple with some green I think they are anemones or zoanthus I don't really know for sure
I would like to identify them are they dangerous evil pests or friendly beneficial beings

Here are some pis I managed to get













I also spotted this fish coming out from one of the rocks any ID on it?

 
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DianaKay

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
From the placement and the looks of the tentacles, my guess would be rock anemones.
Don't think they are a really good find.
Now the fish, that's a real cutie pie!! :thumbup: Some sort of goby or Blenny...can't tell by the color :ponder2:
It would very well be like a Blenny to hide & hitchhike in a rock....Guess you got your rock from a local tank or shipped in water? :fishy:
How long has your tank be running? Do you have a tank thread started?
 
Oxylebius

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
The fish looks like some sort of gunnel.
Do you know where the rocks came from, would help ID the fish based on location/region.
 
H

Hammond

New Member
DianaKay said:
From the placement and the looks of the tentacles, my guess would be rock anemones.
Don't think they are a really good find.
Now the fish, that's a real cutie pie!! :thumbup: Some sort of goby or Blenny...can't tell by the color :ponder2:
It would very well be like a Blenny to hide & hitchhike in a rock....Guess you got your rock from a local tank or shipped in water? :fishy:
How long has your tank be running? Do you have a tank thread started?
Click to expand...

Hey Diana
are those anemones harmful pests or what? Can I keep them or should I destroy the rock that they came with or I just can remove them with some sort of chemicals?

My live rocks I actually harvest them from the sea I'm new to saltwater aquariums, I have 1200l tank and it's 3 months old no fish yet I'm still cycling the tank and the rocks, those rocks with the anemoes and the fish which I also blive its some kind of blenny are not yet introduce to my tank, I have them in a 700l quarantine tank only to make sure nothing unwanted sneaks into my main tank
 
H

Hammond

New Member
Sorry I didn't think that would cause a confusion. I also have rocks from the red sea and the north sea and the British channel, they always come with common hitchhiking beans mostly crabs but this is the first time I counter a fish and a strange looking anemone!!
 
Snid

Snid

Active Member
Hmm... That's a toughy. I just spent a good amount of time hunting, because I'm a goof and I like to research for hitchhikers. ;)

Anyways, the closest match I've found is the ever loved Blue-Spotted Jawfish, but the markings and eyes don't seem to match exactly... Too many elongated spots radiating outwardly from the eyes. Maybe a close relative?
 
Snid

Snid

Active Member
I'm no Anemone expert, but the first thing that popped into my mind was Majano maybe?
 
blackbeltmom

blackbeltmom

Well-Known Member
PREMIUM
They look more like Aptasia, but they could be flower/rock anemones. Some people like flower anemones and places actually sell them. They are so small that it is hard to tell. If they are Aptasia or Mojano, I would kill them with some Kalk paste, Apastia X, or Joe's juice.
 
DianaKay

DianaKay

Princess Diana
RS STAFF
blackbeltmom said:
They look more like Aptasia, but they could be flower/rock anemones. Some people like flower anemones and places actually sell them. They are so small that it is hard to tell. If they are Aptasia or Mojano, I would kill them with some Kalk paste, Apastia X, or Joe's juice.
Click to expand...

They do look like Aiptasia only they have the wider base like the Mojano.
I was hoping someone would comment as to for sure what they are.
They look too much like Aiptasia to me. Personally, I'd get rid of them...I'm thinking that they will become a wide spreading nuisance in your tank. I hope that I'm wrong but they just don't look like a good thing at the rate of population that I see in those pictures.
 
Mike Johnson

Mike Johnson

Well-Known Member
Diana is correct that they are Rock Anemones, just a different kind of Aiptasia. Not good - eliminate with extreme prejudice.
 
Mike Johnson

Mike Johnson

Well-Known Member
Yes, I am aware of the "Flower Anemone" or, slang, Rock Anemone from the Caribbean. The Rock Anemones that I'm referring to are a species of Aiptasia from the Pacific. Their sting is actually much worse than your standard "Glass Anemone" that is so common in the hobby. Some of them can grow very large and they spread like mice on steroids. See their tentacles are smooth and tapered to a point? And Flower Anemones have tentacles like ropes tied in knots?

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reef/anemones/images/Rock(Trumpet)AnemoneWRA_Ap8R.jpg

Shoot, link didn't work the way I wanted. Pictured is an Aiptasia mutabilis.
 
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