Coeloplana sp. (Purse Jellies)

ascheff

ascheff

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What I initially thought was long feeding tentacles coming from a Folded Brain Coral (Trachyphilia radiata), was IDed in another thread with the help of @viper357; et al. as a Comb Jelly or Ctenophore.

I did quite a bit of digging for more info, but didn't find any mention on the forum, so I thought I'd share this interesting hitchhiker in it's own thread.

It turns out this benthic Ctenophore belongs to the genus Coeloplana, which lives a sedentary life attached to the substrate or other organisms. It's also commonly referred to as a Purse Jelly. I'm unable to indentify the exact species.

Here is a photo of it taken with a flash light, where you can clearly see it on the coral:

2014-12-04051223_zps6fa91b36.jpg


Here is a close up:

2014-12-04051223-2_zps3bc9e4a1.jpg


Here is the video again of it "fishing" in the current in my aquarium:


Here are some links with info I've found info on:

The Sea Slug Forum - Benthic ctenophores
Ctenophores Galore! | The Blenny Watcher Blog
Death by Ctenophore | The Blenny Watcher Blog
Coeloplana agniae | Sara Guillouzouic
 
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Very interesting hitchhiker you got there.
 
Another thing to note is that these guys survived a 10min dip, using Seachem Reef Dip. On the other hand, some micro brittle stars also survived the dip, so I'm not even sure it's effective.

I'm actually glad the dip didn't kill the jellies, as they are a cool find. Well, at least until they start catching my smaller livestock or overrunning my tank. :)
 
Sorry to revive an old thread, but these buggers (ctenophores) are taking over my tank.
Has anyone successfully eradicated these from their systems without pulling their tank apart? Are there any known predators that could be introduced to feast on them? My fish have all been in QT for the past 4 weeks and these ctenophores have gone wild over the past week!
 
I still have mine and haven't tried getting rid of them. They don't seem to do any harm, and to be honest I quite like them. Their numbers seem to wax and wane naturally, and I worry when I don't see them for a while.
 
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I've read that they can pose a threat to small fish and potentially sting corals also. I must have at least 20 - 30 at the moment, noticed the first one only about a week ago.
 
I imagine they can probably sting, but so can most corals and anemones. The biggest thing I've seen mine snare is a small amphipod. My Banggai Cardinal regularly touches them, and they can also reach my clam. They also don't affect the brain coral they live on. The most I've had at a time was probably about 8 though, so nothing epidemic. Can't say that I've noticed anything in my tank eating or even taking notice of them.
 
ok thanks, I think the sheer number and rate at which they appeared got me a bit panicked. Will try removing some over the weekend and hopefully get the numbers under control
 
Do you feed your tank zooplankton? I do and they feed on that. If you do, and your able to skip it without affecting any corals or fish that depend on it, you can try starving them.
 
Actually only started feeding plankton yesterday, so that might just help them flourish more! Strange that they made an appearance only after I removed my fish.
 
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