What is eating my plate coral?

[skimpton]

I have a long tentacle plate coral and I noticed yesterday that half of it is alive so I picked it up and something ran from its mouth and on the bottom there were 2 or 3 little critters eating on it.

They took of way too fast to see exactly what they were but they were clear in color and very fast.

Could they be mantis shrimp?? I think they are way too small for that. Need some help.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

With so little data, my first assumption is that the coral is unhealthy and dying, and what you saw were pods just cleaning up.

 

[briang]

Probably anphipods, My eagle eye zoos started disapearing so I riggged it so a couple hours after lights out, I could pull them straight out quickly and catch what was on them. Well they were covered with anphipods ranging in size from 1/16 inch to 1/4 inch. I found a good site on line and compared pic to the one I had on the tip of my finger. no doubt as to what it was. My 50 heads of zoos are down to 4. I'll be blowing them a kiss goodbye tonight.

 

[Shane and John]

ya they were probably the copopods eating the dead halve of it

 

[jnarowe]

There also are LPS eating crabs.