# Mystery Invertebrate



## awohld (Dec 11, 2005)

*Mystery Invertebrate x*

I just saw an unidentified invert in my tank.

It is about 1 inch long and lives in a tube that looks like a rock, the shell sort of looks like the same finish of calcium deposits on the top of the tank. The tube is very skinny, maybe only 1/16th inch in diameter. It's not a shiny shell like a snail but it really looks like a real rock.

Only one end is open and I can see a legs or antennas popping out and touching the plant. On the close-up pictures, the legs are black and sticking out of the right side.

About 2 weeks ago I added plants from a pond in northern indiana ( usa ) to the tank, maybe it came from there.

Any idea what this is?


----------



## 247Plants (Mar 23, 2006)

sounds like a tubifex worm to me....


----------



## awohld (Dec 11, 2005)

247Plants said:


> sounds like a tubifex worm to me....


This isn't any kind of worm! This thing is nasty. I just snuck up on my tank at night and turned on the light, its head was out of its shell.

It has two long legs and two short legs sticking out of the front of it's shell.

It's head is the same general shape as an ants head without the fangs or eyes and it's head white and it's legs are black. But on the top of the head, there is a black "V". The bottom of the "V" is by where an ant's fangs would be and the ends are where the ant's eyes would be.

It looks like it's eating algae off the plant's leaves.

I'll try to get more pictures of it out of it's shell.


----------



## awohld (Dec 11, 2005)

I think I found it: Caddisfly Larva

This thing is going down tomorrow, I don't want it flying around my basement.


----------



## rain- (Dec 16, 2005)

Looks like a Trichoptera (caddisflies) larvae of some sorts.

Oh, I was too late.


----------



## will5 (Oct 26, 2005)

*Hi*



awohld said:


> I think I found it: Caddisfly Larva
> 
> This thing is going down tomorrow, I don't want it flying around my basement.


This answer is correct without a doubt. Now if you have a breeding colony and you wanted to make some money here is what you can do.

Got out and buy some shiny stones but make sure they are small. Take the little guy and his buddies out of the tank with some tank water and put him in a container with the shiny stone lining the bottom and the water. They will then make those shells as you call them out of the shiny stone then once he once he is done making that shell he will come out on his own. Then you take shell and make it in to a neckless. I saw this on TV on animal plant this lady sold these for a pretty penny.


----------



## AndyT. (Jun 28, 2006)

Your link says that they are an important food for many fish... perhaps you could "donate" your guest to an aquarium with slightly larger, slightly more predatory fish?


----------



## 247Plants (Mar 23, 2006)

The hardest part of that would be getting them to mature to adult caddis flys and then getting them to lay eggs in the aquarium


----------



## nathan.gurule (Mar 11, 2010)

Hi I was wondering if someone could help identify this invertebrate? It is found off of the southern coast of California. It is a golden-yellow with some black rings around it. I'm having trouble uploading a photo so my email is [email protected] and I can send you a pic. thank you for your help.

Nathan


----------

