Gill Passman wrote in
:

I have a brown/white Feather Duster in my tank (name of Barry).....I
guess technically it would be a cocoa tube worm.....anyhows....Barry
seemed to gain a little Barry next to him a couple of months ago - I
suspected but never got to prove the point as I had an issue with some
dying corals that wiped out baby Barry, my Cleaner shrimps and a few
other corals on the way - Barry lost his crown but eventually came out
again and is now back to his full glory - so all resolved now
happily.....

Right now I've been watching Barry.....his crown has seemed to be
becoming two seperate crowns out of the same tube....tonight it is
very distinct that there are now "two mouths" - has Barry divided
himself somehow? Will I end up with two FD's? and how does it work if
I have now got the two with them being in the same tube?

TIA

Gill


Sprung says that fission in feather dusters is "nearly an
impossibility" because of their calcerous tube...

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...002/invert.htm

....but then, "nearly" an impossibility leaves a chance for possibility,
doesn't it? :-) I'd photograph and document your observations, Gill.
You might be seeing something which happens only rarely (or is at least
atypical).

Since a feather duster can leave its tube, and make the beginnings of
a new home in about 10-16 hours, I'd be willing to bet thats what will
happen once the fission is complete. If you have an alternate home for
any potential worm predators in the tank, you might want to move them,
at least until BarryClone finds a new spot to settle in, and hardens up
a bit.


DaveZ
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