What the hell is this!?!

[Scubakevdm]

Okay, I found it or another one and took a better picture of it. Again, I was with customers, and couldn't really camp out until I got "The Shot", but it certainly is better than the original.

You can see something just to the left of the "slime strand" where it meets the "body" that looks like it might be a hinged cap or something that.

 

[SCUBAJENNIFER]

Okay, so you got better pictures...but did you taste it?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I'm gonna guess that it's some sort of dead or dying tunicate ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[HatchetJoe]

Great! the better pictures clarified it for for me: it's a..............doohickey

 

[Deefstes]

Great! the better pictures clarified it for for me: it's a..............doohickey

That's a whatchamacallit, knew it right off the bat.

You sure it's not a thingamabob? I always struggle with those two. At least it's obvious that it's not a doohicky.

 

[joystershell]

I think it looks like a dangling dingleberry.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Okay, I found it or another one

Well, unless it moved to a different place it's a different critter. In the first picture I was really leaning towards a piece of encrusted mono with a weight attached, but this one definitely doesn't look like that.
Never seen anything like it in the wild or in a book...
Maybe it's a Praxillura kevinsii, the "one horned praxillura," or "one blade windmill worm," just waiting for you to describe it.
Rick

 

[Rick Murchison]

In looking around for what in the world this could be I did come across something interesting that looks mighty similar...
There is this epibenthic amphipod, Dyopedos monacanthus, that constructs it's own "perch" on which to stand and pick plankton from the passing water - the "perch" and your mystery critter look mighty similar at the base, but D. monacanthus perches are usually standing up/out into the water column, not down, so I don't think that's it
Rick

 

[divingjade]

Probably a sponge! Some sponges spread about by literally dripping off walls and overhangs, they then form new sponges where the drips land. Couldn't tell you which sponge though!

 

[divingjade]

Now Ive seen the close ups definitely a sponge... demosponge but cant really tell you more then that without getting a sample....