Can Anyone Tell Me What This Is--->??????

[es355lucille]

Take a look at the outlines. This could very well be a peanut worm from everything I have read (Thanks Pan) The outter portion that we see and from the pictures feels harder like a shell.

Originally Posted by justinl

could you use paint or something to circle what we're looking at?

[justinl]

peanut worms are... well, worms; they are soft and not stiff at all. and they would retract completely into the hole if you poked it. if it let you poke it at all (unlikely). is this thing freely moving or is it stuck onto the rock? im thinking a tunicate. anyways, chances are, it is harmless. probably more than 99% of hitchhikers are.

[Pan]

A few taxa possess a calcified plate called the anal shield.?

[Jack]

Looks like the ass end of a chiton to me but it's hard to tell.

[es355lucille]

Pan, I read this as well. I believe you are correct. Maybe he will come out some day and I can get a picture for positive identification. Until then, the mystery is interesting. I did'nt realize how many live creatures come along with the LR. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Pan

A few taxa possess a calcified plate called the anal shield.?

[BCOrchidGuy]

I had a peanut worm and it only extended at night, late at night. When the light would hit it, the worm would retract with amazing speed so it took a while to figure it out. If you can set up a small (not bright) light so you can see into the area where it is and check on it a couple times after lights out you may see what it is. My peanut worm would extend out almost a foot and feed like an elephant trunk but like I say, when it retracted, it was almost instant.

Douglas

[albert_dao]

It's a burrowing mussel. Harmless.

[chandigz]

Originally Posted by albert_dao

It's a burrowing mussel. Harmless.

That was my first thought some sort of bivalve (clam or mussel) Its a little tough to tell from the picture but it looks like you can see the hinge?