hair worm?????

[ronj]

i found something on a rock that has very fine spines or tentacles...not a featherduster. the spines aree shiny and very small and about half an inch long. i can't get a good pic though...it has a lightly colored base and maybe 15 tentacles coming out...anyone have an idea?

 

[wrightme43]

try a search for foraminiferan or homotrema rubrum should look pretty similar to what your describing.

 

[ronj]

not a hair worm???

i just tried to remove it... it is a piece of the rock with some sort of tentacles on it....almost looks exactly like a flame scallop,except the tentacles are very fine and not red and it is attached to my live rock...actually, it is not attached...it is the live rock,iut just has hair like tentacles coming off of it...

 

[wrightme43]

Quote from J. Sprung Invertabrates.
Forams develop skeletons of fantastic complexity. Thier skeletons are built on the framework of a secreted glycoprotein matrix, most commonly cemented together with secreted calcium carbonate to form a shell, but sometimes imbedded with gathered foreign mineral particles.
The living goram fills the chambers of its shell, while its pseudopodia extend from the large opening of the shell.
they are not always red, and there are many many many different kinds of forams.

 

[rugie]

aka spaghetti worm, great scavengers!