Hitch-hiking Melibe engeli
January 30, 2004
From: Joe Yaiullo
Dear Dr. Rudman,
We came across this nudibranch in one of our coral propagation troughs today. All live rock came from the Pacific. Do you know what species it is? It readily eats Artemia nauplii and would scrape the tank walls with its large "mouth". I have attached 3 photos.
Thank you,
Joe Yaiullo
justjoe63@aol.com
Yaiullo, J., 2004 (Jan 30) Hitch-hiking Melibe engeli. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12054Dear Joe,
If you find very strange animals interesting, then you have hot the jackpot here. This is Melibe engeli. Like all the members of its family it feeds on small crustacea which it catches in its enormous 'oral hood'. If you look at the species' Fact Sheet it should give you some background information.
We know very little about the life cycles of these animals but as long as you don't mind losing a few nauplii, I am sure it will live quite happily in your coral propagation troughs without interfering
Best wishes
Bill Rudman
Related messages
-
Melibe engeli and its oral hood
From: Charles Raabe, October 27, 2008 -
Melibe engeli - aquarium hitchhiker
From: Can Tunali, May 2, 2008 -
Giant-mouthed shrimp-eating sea slug
From: Katie LeFevre, November 14, 2007 -
More on Melibe engeli
From: Jung Eun Yoon, July 5, 2007 -
Melibe engeli from the Philippines
From: Jung Eun Yoon, May 25, 2007 -
Melibe with eggs from East Timor
From: Brian Francisco, December 7, 2006 -
Melibe sp? in my aquarium
From: Michael Biester, February 15, 2006 -
Re: Hitch-hiking Melibe engeli
From: Todd Gardner, February 1, 2004 -
Melibe engeli - dextral egg spiral
From: Bill Rudman, March 6, 2003 -
Melibe engeli in aquarium
From: Andrew Trevor-Jones, January 28, 2002 -
Melibe engeli from Japan
From: Atsushi Ono, March 5, 2000 -
Re: Melibe sp. from S.E. Sulawesi
From: Terry Gosliner, March 3, 2000 -
Melibe from SE Sulawesi
From: Lindsay Warren, February 29, 2000