Who is the little fellow

[lappiesreef]

He grows in between the shrooms.

[Mike]

A face on type pic would be better.

[lappiesreef]

I'll try and snap more pic's tonight.

It is in a tricky spot though...

[jacquesb]

Hi LappiesReef - It looks like a "hairy mushroom".... I am not sure about any other (possibly more correct) naming though.

[lappiesreef]

Thanks J

I thought it looked like a little Xenia. Apparently it only strated growing out a month or two ago. Perhasp it will get bigger?

[jacquesb]

My "hairy mushrooms" are about 5-6cm in diameter. They are usually round in shape (when looking from the top). They are mounted on a 'foot' very close to the rock.... It has one single "mouth" in the centre. I will try and find a pic.

[jacquesb]

OK - here you go - this is what a "hairy mushroom" looks like:

[jacquesb]

Another pic:

[lappiesreef]

That looks a bit different from mine. Suppose there could be variations.
I'll try and get an above pic.

I like the Caulerpa racemosa (if it is algae) around it I picked some up on the beach at Umlanga. Maybe I'll add it to my nano.

[lappiesreef]

The link pic is also not exactly the same as mine. Maybe my pic is really bad. It is a cell phone pic

[jacquesb]

No - your pic is actually amazingly good, for a cell-phone pic! BUT, unfortunately it is from the side.... Is this "thing" encrusting the rock? Or does it look like it sits "on top of the rock" (just being attached to the rock)?

[lappiesreef]

I think it might just be attached. Can't be too sure though. The shrooms cover most of it's feet.

I'll try and get a pic from above tonight.

I think I saw a single mouth in the middle.

[lappiesreef]

Here he is from the top

[lappiesreef]

[lappiesreef]

[lappiesreef]

He caught some frozen brine shrimp and close

[jacquesb]

Hi LappiesReef - definitely a type of rhodactis corralimorph - hairy mushroom....perhaps a slightly different coloration to what I have, but the exact same type....

[lappiesreef]

Cool thanks. Same care as normal shrooms?

[jacquesb]

Yes - LappiesReef - exactly the same care!

[lappiesreef]

I'm glad to report that my hairy Shroom split and became two hairy shrooms

It started moving around on the rock with the other shrooms. Think they were competing for light as the shrooms are now uge. Easily 10 cm wide...

I caught him sitting intop of a shroom, so I picked him up and placed him on aniother rock, two days later he ahd two mouths and three days later two of them

I never thought the splitting happens that quickly...