Favia parasite?

[kevnkev]

There is this hole that developed in one of the polyps in my Favia. I thought maybe it was an extra large mouth, but now I don't think so. Last night I saw a round white shape 2-3mm across sticking up from the hole. Every couple of seconds it would shift a little. It was mostly round, but with a little tail - looked a little like the part of the shell where a Nassarius snail sticks out its siphon, but not folded into a tube, just solid. This morning the white ball had retreated, just leaving the hole. I'll try to get pictures if it comes out again, but does this sound familiar? Some kind of parasite or disease? I've had the favia for several months and never seen signs of this hole prior to a week or so ago. No additions to the tank in that time.

Here are photos from this morning. The white thing that emerged from the hole is just visible inside the hole.

 

[user 26995]

Very interesting.
If it were me, I would pull the piece out and dip it in Coral Rx. If that white thing is a pest, it will come out. It could be a small asterina startfish. There are varieties that eat coral.

Oh and if it doesnt come out, I would probably do a little surgery on it and remove what ever it is.

 

[kevnkev]

Having never used Coral Rx, what risk is there to the other corals I have on the same rock (another favia, an acan, and a zoa colony)? I can probably work to remove this suffering one from the rock, but it would be a lot easier to just dip the whole shebang, if there's no risk to the healthy corals. Thanks!

 

[senji]

no risk at all i dip everything including nems into coral rx pro. *(its stronger) with no ill effects. if i see anything al all i take it out and dip it right away as with all new specimens.

 

[kevnkev]

Great. I'll give it a shot - photos to come in anything falls out.

 

[user 26995]

Yeah, Id like to know what, if anything comes out of it.

 

[kevnkev]

Well, nothing came out of the hole from the dipping. I guess the next step is surgery.

Btw, how long is the shelf life on Coral Rx? The bottle I got says it expires in August, which seems awfully quick. Did I get sent an old bottle from the back of the warehouse?

 

[user 26995]

Hmmm, I've never noticed an expiration date on coral rx. I havent looked either.

So has the hole gotten any bigger? Or any new holes?

 

[SeaLion]

Google Gall Crab and see if that looks like ID.

 

[user 26995]

Oh creepy critter. I would hope the dip would get it to come out at least.

 

[kevnkev]

Creepy is right! The hole has not gotten any bigger, and no new ones. Gall crab doesn't look too far off, but since I haven't been able to see much of its body, I can't tell for sure. I'm going to go in with a needle to pierce whatever it is, in case the Rx didn't kill it. I'm not sure if I'll be able to pull it out and id it, but I'll give it my best.

 

[user 26995]

You've played operation with the little tweezers haven't you? lol!

 

[N1Husker]

I use Coral RX on all of my corals with no ill effects.

 

[kevnkev]

Update on the whatever it is:

Two sewing needles for surgery tools and some dedicated digging let me pull out a grain of sand and something that was obviously organic, and I think still alive before it got punctured. Too small to get a picture, and not enough distinguishing characters to identify, but I don't think it was a gall crab. The photos I've seen online of gall crabs looks like there should be some obvious legs. If I had to guess, I'd say it was a snail. Any snails that parasitize corals like this? Fingers crossed that it didn't lay any eggs for me to find a month from now.

 

[user 26995]

Well hopefully it heals up now.
There are some pretty small snails. They typically go after dead or dying tissue, but there are so many different species, there is bound to be some may go after live healthy tissue too.

 

[crazyfish253]

Use reef pest solutions much much stronger dip than coral rx. RPS all out aims for eggs

 

[N1Husker]

Update on the whatever it is:

Two sewing needles for surgery tools and some dedicated digging let me pull out a grain of sand and something that was obviously organic, and I think still alive before it got punctured. Too small to get a picture, and not enough distinguishing characters to identify, but I don't think it was a gall crab. The photos I've seen online of gall crabs looks like there should be some obvious legs. If I had to guess, I'd say it was a snail. Any snails that parasitize corals like this? Fingers crossed that it didn't lay any eggs for me to find a month from now.

I think it should be sent to the forensics lab for identification. We need to know!

 

[kevnkev]

I think it should be sent to the forensics lab for identification. We need to know!

As long as there's a forensics lab down in the sink drain, we're in business!

 

[N1Husker]

Oh No, you've destroyed the evidence. Oh well, on to the next mysteries of the aquarium. It's a never ending experience.

 

[HeiHei29er]

It was likely a barnacle. I have a maricultured favia and it has three of them on it, although mine are between the polyps and not through one.