Tank Journal Archive

[MichelleShocked]

I have a video of him but can't manage to trim it enough to upload it yet. Will keep trying :)

 

[daveH]

Aren't they neat!
I ended up with one of these a couple of months back, it was in the water I collected one morning.
I was surprised how long their testicles tentacles were.

 

[MichelleShocked]

Last night i counted 6+ jellies in the tank - these new ones are smaller than a pin head & since my one and only NSW addition was over 6 wks ago, I am coming to suspect the jellyfish are either multiplying in my tank or an anemone is multiplying & the jellyfish are its larval form. I only have 2 nem species - Majano & some recently discovered Aiptasia. I am unsurprised by the Aiptasia since the LFS i got the rock they are on from has their tanks infested with them & it was just a matter of time *sigh*
Back to the jellyfish though: being the curious person I am, I'm keen to discover their species & origin.
These new tiny ones have a short bulbous tentacle on each "corner" & some sort of light reflecting material at the base of each on. They have the same material in their body when they are older (see above pix).
When they aren't shloomping about the tank, they are suckered down onto something (see above pix).
They also seem attracted to the surface because when I turn the powerhead off, that's where they make their way to.
I'v been looking online for an Australian resource that can help me ID my little friends.
Not just because I'm curious but because I'm also rather keen not to be the first person in history to be stung by an Irukanji in their living room.......

@Dr. Schell ??

 

[Joele]

I had the exact same things in my tank when cycling_ since the fish and peppermint shrimp went in I haven't seen them.

Sent from my HTC_PO582 using Tapatalk

 

[Dr. Schell]

Looks to me like a species of Nausithoe (perhaps N. cf. punctate). These are very small jellyfish that spend most of their life in the Polyp stage and commonly occur in our tanks. The polyps are very long lived and the medsuae stage (ie the Jellyfish) is very small, short-lived and used for dispersal and sexual reproduction. The polyps (a form of Hydroid which may look superficially like Aptasia anemones with a distinct tube within which they will retract when disturbed) are very long lived and are often introduced on live rock. They form attractive carpets. Perhaps search your tank for the polyp stage if they 'spontaniously' appear in your aquarium. Examples of polys and medusa from this Jellyfish genus are provided in the following links that have been sourced from the web:

Jellyfish stage - http://www.reeflex.net/img/13107_DSrBEq8rXf.jpg

Jellyfish and polyps - http://thescyphozoan.ucmerced.edu/tSimage/N_aurea_mp.jpg

Polyps in aquarium - http://www.reeflex.net/img/6302_xkNKf3gpWW.jpg

more polyps in aquarium - http://www.reef2rainforest.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Coronate-Scyphozoan-Polyps.jpg

 

[MichelleShocked]

Hmmm. Maybe the Aiptasia I'v spotted arent Aiptasia then.
A brief google led me to conclude they are a Cladonema spp.
Are they the same?

 

[Dr. Schell]

Hmmm. Maybe the Aiptasia I'v spotted arent Aiptasia then.
A brief google led me to conclude they are a Cladonema spp.
Are they the same?

They are contained within different genera, but essential have similar life-history strategies. Both are hydroids that have dominant polyp stage that forms sexually reproductive medusa used in dispersal. As with all cnidarian, both the polyp and medusa stage have the potential to sting other organism, but they generally feed on plankton.

 

[MichelleShocked]

They are contained within different genera, but essential have similar life-history strategies. Both are hydroids that have dominant polyp stage that forms sexually reproductive medusa used in dispersal. As with all cnidarian, both the polyp and medusa stage have the potential to sting other organism, but they generally feed on plankton.

Thank you for clearing that up - I had visions of me fiddling about in my tank & being stung to death lol
Its given me an idea for a story though ;)
*goes off to start a rough draft*