Zoa reproducing?

[ptoole]

Hi, my pink zoas are spitting out strands. They seem to come from their polyps.

Is this a defense mechanism? A parasite? A disease? Stress? Reproduction?

 

[nunofs]

That looks more like the tentacles of a spaghetti worm... unless they're coming from the mouths of the zoa polyps, in which case they'd be the zoa expelling zoaxanthele.

 

[RayD]

Nuno was that a nice way of saying they're taking a crap?

 

[GinaD]

Aw, that stinks!

 

[ptoole]

They aren't spaghetti worms. They are definitely originating from the mouths. Also, it only seems to be in the late morning (~2hrs after lights are on).

Expelling zoaxanthele? What does one look like?

They eventually become free floating....very strange.

 

[testhead1313]

they'd be the zoa expelling zoaxanthele.

I think nuno hit it on the head here. I see my zoas and LPS doing this fairly frequently. Just goes to show that there certainly is a price to symbiosis.

 

[nunofs]

Nuno was that a nice way of saying they're taking a crap?

Yes, pretty much

 

[ptoole]

OK, I've read up on expelling - sounds like that's the case. Why would ALL of them do it on the same day?

Also...stringy? That seems strange.