ID Please...pix included.

[Zen Reeferer]

Found a couple of these a few of weeks ago. It kinda looks like a spaghetti worm, but with pretty short tentacles, which don't seem to get much longer.
Here's from the front:

Here's from the side:

It appears to be attached to the rock, no tube, and as you can see in the second pix, a central mouth. Could this be an anemone instead of a worm? Is it a pest species, or ok for my reef?
Thank you very much.
Jim
edit: Sorry, forgot to mention it's about 3/8 to 1/2" wide when flattened-out, tentacle to tentacle.

 

[Krish]

I've never seen one in real life before, but the thing wants to look like aptaisa! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that I am wrong...

 

[jetaero]

I say Aiptasia (glass anemone)

you should probably remove it... my favorite method is kalk.

-Josh-

 

[fishcrazee]

It is indeed aiptasia, and will multiply rapidly, so don't let it get a foot hold! Joes juice or concentrated kalk squirt right on it will kill them. There are certain creatures that eat it too, but once the aiptasia is gone, they may starve unless you pass it on. Watch your alkalinity and pH when using the kalk or juice, as it can quickly sky rocket. Check out this: http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13824

 

[Zen Reeferer]

. Haven't disturbed it, and the other one is on the same frag. Will just get rid of the frag. Thanks. <sigh>

 

[Krish]

. Haven't disturbed it, and the other one is on the same frag. Will just get rid of the frag. Thanks. <sigh>

Sorry to hear that man...I'll look around closely to see if anymore are there hiding because the things are supposed to spread like mad. I wish you the best in that you don't have any more in there

 

[Zen Reeferer]

Tossed the frag it came in on and searched every square inch of visible rock faces and sand...so far so good. Keeping an eye out for it now, tho.

 

[keener1830]

Why are they so bad? and how fast will the suckers spread? We found one in our tank about a week ago and I thought it was a coral so much for that thought. I just tried to scrape it off with a knife but yea that didn't work so I guess I will have to buy the chems

 

[WA coral]

They will sting any corals they can reach and will spread quite rapidly depending on conditions (food/water) and if you do scrape them do it out side of the tank because if some is left or floats away sometimes that is all they need to grow another and you can accidentaly help the problem spread. You can manage them and I think most of us have gotten them from time to time but try to get to them asap.

 

[WA coral]

Oh yea if you dont have any joes or kalk, lemon juice will work with a seringe just sneek up on them and stick it in the mouth and shoot em up just take it easy with what ever you do use as to much of any of this stuff can be bad

 

[Sk8r]

Peppermint shrimp will also keep them in check. Mine still aren't all gone, but those left are in harmless spots---as a matter of fact, I deliberately set a frag atop one of my more obnoxious clumps and have never seen it again---take that, you little devils. More to the point, with the peppermints in there, bbbthe little ones don't survive.

 

[Zen Reeferer]

I had to shoo my peppermint shrimp off of the frag to remove it from the tank. It was showing no interest in the stuff at all.
Thanks for the help.