Marine stick bug??

**Rostr02** · 02-26-2010, 01:59 AM

Well one the macro algae that I got today i found a hitchhiker. It appears to be a marine stick bug. Just like the ones on land only looks like a piece of red gracilaria algae. Anyone ever seen one of these before? Good or bad critter to have??

Thanks
Bob

**Rostr02** · 02-26-2010, 02:26 AM

Ok a pest for sure!! Within 10 min this little thing ate holes on my lettuce algae. its to hard to get pics of him at this time but when he dies . . . . and he will die! I will post them up on here. To bad he was a pretty cool looking critter.

Bob

**Rostr02** · 02-26-2010, 02:52 AM

If anyone knows of anything that resembles a marine based stick/leaf bug please let me know. I would love to find out what this thing actually is. Until then I will continue my online search.

Bob

**Rostr02** · 02-26-2010, 03:21 AM

Caprellid Amphipod

Thank you john at reefcleaners for this one

**Amphibious** · 02-26-2010, 10:12 AM

Renee, Seahorse Dreams, should chime in on this one. She is the resident odd ball junkie IDr.

Looks pretty cool though. Thanks for the pic

**Rostr02** · 02-26-2010, 12:11 PM

Well I did not kill the little creature once I found out what it was and what its diet consisted of. I released it into the DT where hopefully it like hair algae as much as it liked my ulva algae.

I would love to learn more about this little guy.

Bob

**boyesreef** · 02-26-2010, 04:29 PM

wild lookin critter

**Rostr02** · 02-26-2010, 04:55 PM

You should see the way that it moves. Walks like an inch worm, looks like a mosquito larvae when it swims. Quite interesting to watch. But not to fun to have in a fuge with macro algae.

Bob

**CarmieJo** · 02-26-2010, 07:21 PM

I have some of those. John is a great resource for ID's on macros and associated critters.

**Seahorsedreams** · 02-26-2010, 09:16 PM

Those things are crazy! They stick on ya really well and cling to nets so that they kind of spooked me out. I use to collect them all the time as a by catch.

Any chance ya wanna mail him to me :-)

**Rostr02** · 02-26-2010, 11:22 PM

Well if i come across him in the DT I will send him your way. I just did not want the little bugger in my fuge anymore eating all of my ulva. Since I just got it and the piece I am referring to is not that large. I will have the DT lights back on on Sunday with new 20,000k 175 watt MH I will look for him then. I am giving the small bit of macro all the nutrients it can steal from the hair algae.

Bob