Neptune Aquatics

Something is growing on my torch

Flagg37

Flagg37

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My torch was my very first coral. It was growing great for the first few months then I noticed that it wouldn't extend its tentacles as long as it did before.
image.jpg
This is how it first looked.

I did notice a vermetid snail on it that I removed with no change. There was also an area on its skeleton that was growing which I thought was a new head. Tonight I was target feeding my corals reef roids and squirted a little on my torch. I noticed the growth on the side of it move almost like a clam. It closed itself and pushed out the food.
image.jpg

This is the best picture I could get of it. Usually the torch's tentacles hang over it and you can't really see it but tonight it had them all pulled in.

At this point I'm sure it's not the growth of a new head but I have no idea what it could be. Any thoughts?
 
It's really strange. The part that is growing is on the side of the torch's skeleton. In the picture it's practically the whole side that is facing the camera. It's the striped part and is hard. There is an opening along the top that appears to have flesh inside. I've also observed it opening and closing but probably only by about a millimeter and in a way that it seems hinged at the bottom. That's what makes me think it's some kind of muscle or clam or something and not a new head.
 
Ah, now I see what you mean. I've seen plenty of weird little clam like stuff growing on rocks before, maybe that's all it is. The little brown speck down near the bottom looks kinda aiptasia like to me though
 
I pulled off the clam and the next day saw little critters crawling around on it. They're the same ones that I see on my glass. Here's a few pictures of what I've got if anyone can id them. They are probably about 0.5 mm in length. These are the closest, clearest pictures I could get.

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