First off, my apologies if this is in the wrong area. I have had no luck or helpful advice in identifying a live rock hitch hiker in my marine aquarium, the kicker is..it's still alive and doing well despite these images. These seem to be the "shedding" it leaves behind 2 times in 1 month.





My 55gal. reef tank has been going for almost 4 weeks, when in to week #2 we see a nearly 2-3 inch long critter start rapidly floating all about under the moonlights. While attempting to net it, it became lifeless and it's body lay on the sandbed. We did'nt even touch it yet with the net just turned the lights on and it just seemingly died. Even stranger still the thing started inching it's way to a nearby rock then within a few moments stopped. Almost as if it had exited it's body. We knew something was strange about it and when removing it, it almost looked like a ghost shrimp. Now almost into week #4 we wake up to the exact same body shell laying ontop of a rock lifeless. After looking at it closer it appears to have 8 appendages or 6 legs and 2 antenna? I don't know, but it does'nt resemble any of the spiders I've researched. Whatever this thing is, it seems to shed itself instantly whenever it feels threatened?

The night I saw it in it's "live" form it was rather large at approx. 2 1/2 to 3 inches and virtually completely transparent. At first glance I thought maybe I had a jelly fish. But as it nestled under a rock it had what almost appeared to be antenna's..I've looked up lots of hitch hikers but cannot indentify this, if my tank or myself is in any danger I would sure like to know. I have had a few hermit crabs die or disappear but cannot say that is'nt from just being a new tank. Can anyone out there help me?

You are not alone. I have one I see every so often out of the corner of my eye. ONLY at night. When I whip out the flashlight he is gone within a matter of seconds. Very strange.

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I know, weird! I bought some corals a few months ago and picked up, unbeknown to me, a Brittle Starfish I have yet to see more than a tentacle of... I'd wait and try to see what it is being that it might dine on something you want to put in your tank...

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55gal ~ Freshwater
90gal ~ Saltwater
100gal ~ ?