Odd Extensions coming from leathers

[cancunryan]

I have two leathers, a toadstool one and a finger leather. Coming from both of them are these long very thin white extensions which kind of look like feather quills when they're stretched out. They extend out, then suck back into the leather. These things also get stuck to my fish, though they are able to free themselves easily. None of the reef store owners around here have any idea what this could be. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks.

[tinyreef]

i'm going to guess ctenophore again (there's another thread (http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=848040) where i think it's also ctenophore or comb jelly). these jellies are often found with sarcos for some reason, conducive natural environment(?).

check this link (http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/nsf/fguide/ctenophora3.html) if the trailing tentacle pictured is what you're seeing.

in the other thread i posted a type that i have currently in my tanks but i've seen 3~4 types that act similarly but look differently. the one i posted is much thicker and colored than the ctenophore you and the other thread poster is seeing though. but the basic type of animal is still the same imo, i.e. comb jelly.

[cancunryan]

Thanks for the reply and yes, that is what I'm seeing. From what I read, they don't seem to be harmful. Is that correct?

Also, is there any way to remove them? Thanks.

[tinyreef]

i don't believe they're harmful either. the softies i've seen them with never seem bothered by them. i believe they're strictly planktivores and pay little heed to the corals. although i'm curious the basis of their relationship.

afaik, you can just pluck them off wherever they're attached. you might have to scrape them off but honestly i've never really tried or bothered to. i have inadvertently removed some from other surfaces when i had to clean/maintenance something (e.g. heater). fwiw, they seemed to wipe off easier than the algae when i accidently removed them. hth

[swegyptian]

I had those on a leather that I got from a fellow reefer, and they were around for about a month, but they are no more. They used to come out all the time, but maybe they were starved in my system or something.

[Brooks_McClary]

I have seen some in my tank in the live rock. The "feelers" stick out of the rock and trail in the current. They retract when I turn on the lights. They seem to be living in little holes in the rock. I never worried about them as they didn't hurt anything.