Zoanthids?

[HMarcks]

ok so I know this isn't much good without a picture but maybe someone could give me some ideas and I could look at some photos online. So I have what I thought was a brown zoanthid hitchhiker on my live rock. But after looking at some photos and other live specimens I am not sure. It does not open up to a flattened form like the ones I have seen it stays in more of a cup shape. The size seems to be right if not a little smaller. It was in a little colony but must died off in cycleing and now their are only two. Could it just be that it is not opennning up all the way?

Edit: I'll try to get a picture tonight

 

[Joe Fish]

Check some pics of aptasia and compare.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Long tenticles or a short skirt of shorter tenticles? Does it look like an anemone? Any other color to it then brown?

 

[HMarcks]

ok here is my attempt at describing it. light pinkish brown all over, it is about a 1/4 inch tall. The "tenticals" sre not clear and also do not appear to have any texture to them. The are not as thick as the tenticals I see on zoanthid pictures but they (if I remember correctly) do hav a slightly thicker base then the tip. I'd say these tentacles are less then 1/8 of an inch long. My boyfriend thinks he sees two layers of the one below the other but I cant really tell. From above in the center you can see a small lighter colored dot. Here I tried to draw it don't laugh.
View attachment untitled.bmp This is a side and top view.

 

[HMarcks]

The tenticals seem way to short to be anaptasia. But maybe that is because it is so little right now.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

*Images found on google*

Look like this? Maybe a type of Palythoa...

 

[TRe]

this is aptasia

this is a majano

both of those are bad...if its neither of those thers a good chance its either a zoo or paly

 

[HMarcks]

OK finally some pics

I think it looks most like your pics of the Palythoa, cichlidman. But I have never seen it open up that wide and I can't really see that ribbed texture inside it. But that may be because it is so small. anyway here are some decent pics of it. Not the best equipment to get pictures but youll get the idea.

 

[HMarcks]

Then again it does look alot like TRe first picture the first pic with the little one on the right side of the shot. I had only seen pictures of larger Aptasia but now seeing that little one (if it is the same thing) I bet it is one of those.

 

[TRe]

i think it does look like aptasia... just keep an eye on it, 1 or 2 wont bother nothing but its when 1 or 2 turn to 20 or 30 that it becomes a problem and that can happen in what seems like over night! some peppermint shrimp eat them but some dont (kinda the luck of the draw) best bet would be to get some joes juice

 

[kay-bee19]

When in doubt, take it out.

Try disturbing it a little (gently squirt it with a turkey baster or touch it with an object or something, but don't damage it), or if it's on a small enough rock, inspect it out of water. If it completely retracts it's an aptasia (or something similarly undesirable).