ciao Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I wish I had a picture but I doubt I could have taken one with my Powershot and have anybody be able to maje anything out of it. So tonight as the lights were coming on I noticed this odd looking "net" like "slime" trail waving around in the water. At first look, I thought it was just some random mucous floating around in the water from maybe a snail or some of the Palys. After I looked at it for a few seconds, I noticed this mucous trail had some structure. It was relatively thin, like a spider web and the structure resembled a bird feather with a main stem and the tiny hairs coming off the main stem except spaced a lot further apart. The "net" looked slightly whitish. What gave it away as not being random mucous was that it was being cast and retracted back by this little tiny worm/bug on a rock. It was relatively small. Probably about the a few millimeters. My eyes probably would have thought it was part of the rock if I hadn't seen the net being retracted by it. It was shooting it out and letting it float for maybe half a second and then retracting it. This "net" could reach about 3 inches long sometimes. When the lights came on, it stopped casting but when the lights went off it started again. I was really surprised that the net was so big since the body of the bug was so small in relation to that net. Has anybody seen or heard of such a bug before or had experience with them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 It could be a Ctenophore. Scroll down on this link and you will find a picture of one. http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchodds.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I can check it out when I come over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowman Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 Does the "bug" have a hard tube housing? If so it is a vermetid snail: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/snails_shells/86839 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandinga Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 I think I may have the same animal in my system. Mine are in the sand, and they have tentacle like appendages that probe the surface of the sand. The tentacle's are orange/black and another has white/clear. At first I thought they were bristleworms, but upon closer inspection they definitely weren't bristleworms...pheeewww. The thing that struck me was that they build their homes out of the substrate. Almost like a caddis...in a river. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciao Posted December 21, 2009 Author Share Posted December 21, 2009 Does the "bug" have a hard tube housing? If so it is a vermetid snail: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/snails_shells/86839 Nope, it's mobile with a soft body it seems. Now that I got a wrasse, I assume he will be hiding or is already gone(whistle) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciao Posted December 21, 2009 Author Share Posted December 21, 2009 It could be a Ctenophore. Scroll down on this link and you will find a picture of one. http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchodds.html BINGO!!! That's what it was! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 I was right! I was right! I was right! (dancing) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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