What shall we feed our dear little sea hare?

August 28, 1999
From: Maggie Berry

I am hoping that you can give us some information about the animal that we just found in our sound (Bogue Sound in North Carolina -- we are at the bottom of the outer banks). We are an environmental education program, and we go out in the sound daily (for the past six years) but this is the first time we have ever seen a Bursatella leachii. Very exciting. We called our aquarium, but it has no idea how to care for it. We have salt water tanks for just this reason. But we want to be sure we can care for it properly before keeping it for any length of time. So, what we would really like to know is how to care for it, what to feed it, and anything else interesting you know for the students that come here. I am trying to read up on the animal on the internet, but most sites tell you size and physical characteristics, but few interesting details for our "younger viewers". Any help would be greatly appreciated. And if you can e-mail the information to me, that would be great as I check it more regularly than I have time to get on the internet.

Thank you so much
Maggie Berry
Program Coordinator
Sound to Sea Environmental Education Program

soundtosea@hotmail.com

Berry, M., 1999 (Aug 28) What shall we feed our dear little sea hare?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1254

Dear Maggie,
I think you'll find that Bursatella leachii is a fairly easy animal to keep in an aquarium. It normally feeds on a blue-green algae layer on the surface of the mud or soft sediment on which it lives, so I suspect it should not have too much problem living off the algal film that grows in aquaria, provided the tank has sufficient light for algal growth.

You may not have realised that the Sea Slug Forum has a lot more to it than the Messages Page. I have put your message on the Bursatella leachii Page of the Forum. You will find some general information on Bursatella above your message, and you will find other messages on Bursatella below yours on this page. The messages and the answers contain quite a bit of the type of information you are looking for.

Bursatella is a Sea Hare. Have a look at the 'Sea Hare' entries in the GENERAL TOPICS LIST. You will find more general information there. You can also use the Search the Forum button in the yellow bar at the top of your message to find other information in the Forum.

If you'd like to send us a photo of your Bursatella I would be happy to post it on the Forum with your message. Your 'younger viewers' might like to see 'their' Sea Slug on the World Wide Web. The 'variety' or subspecies of Bursatella leachii in your part of the world is slightly different in appearance to the one I have here from Australian waters.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 1999 (Aug 28). Comment on What shall we feed our dear little sea hare? by Maggie Berry. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1254

Factsheet

Bursatella leachii

Related messages

  1. Bursatella leachii from Thailand
    From: Nick Chapman, May 20, 2010
  2. Bursatella leachii from sthn Queensland
    From: Deb Aston, April 29, 2010
  3. Sydney Sea hare ID
    From: George Evatt, April 29, 2010
  4. Re: Bursatella leachii in northeastern Spain
    From: Bella Galil, March 23, 2010
  5. Re: Bursatella leachii in northeastern Spain
    From: Levent Cavas, March 23, 2010
  6. Re: Bursatella leachii in northeastern Spain
    From: Boris Weitzmann, March 19, 2010
  7. Re: Bursatella leachii in northeastern Spain
    From: Bella Galil, March 19, 2010
  8. Probable Bursatella leachii from Japanese waters
    From: Hiroyuki Tanaka, March 19, 2010
  9. Bursatella leachii in northeastern Spain
    From: Boris Weitzmann, January 29, 2010
  10. Re: Bursatella leachii subspecies
    From: Deng Yan Zhang, August 18, 2009
  11. Bursatella leachii from New Zealand
    From: Graham Bould, March 27, 2009
  12. Re: Bursatella washing ashore East Florida
    From: Ed Proffitt, December 12, 2008
  13. Bursatella leachii & egg masses from Florida
    From: Anne DuPont, November 21, 2008
  14. Re: Bursatella leachii or Bursatella leachi?
    From: Fabio Crocetta, November 21, 2008
  15. Bursatella leachii or Bursatella leachi?
    From: Fabio Crocetta, November 20, 2008
  16. Re: Bursatella leachii from Florida - egg mass
    From: Robert Bocik, November 18, 2008
  17. Bursatella leachii from Mozambique
    From: Valda Fraser, April 14, 2008
  18. Re: Bursatella leachii from Lembeh Straits
    From: Linda Rutherford, March 28, 2008
  19. Bursatella leachii from Turkey
    From: M. Kazak & L. Cavas, November 24, 2007
  20. Bursatella washing ashore East Florida
    From: Jon Moore, November 13, 2007
  21. Bursatella leachii at Sanibel Island, Florida
    From: Camilla Cheatham, November 12, 2007
  22. Slug or not?
    From: Gary Jackson, August 11, 2007
  23. Sea Slug Mating Season? - Florida
    From: Lisa Overstreet, July 19, 2007
  24. Why so many sea slugs??
    From: Dew Bakker, July 19, 2007
  25. Sea slug sighting - Panama City Beach, Florida
    From: James Ker, July 18, 2007
  26. Re: Sea slugs washed ashore - Florida
    From: Brian Mason, July 18, 2007
  27. Sea Hares at Panama City Beach, Florida
    From: Theresia Schwinghammer, July 17, 2007
  28. Sea slugs washed ashore - Florida
    From: Cheryl Bodden, July 16, 2007
  29. What type is this?
    From: Tom Johnson, July 16, 2007
  30. Bursatella leachii
    From: Doug Clark, June 28, 2007
  31. Fremantle, Western Australia - many new sightings
    From: Brent Murdoch, May 8, 2007
  32. Bursatella leachii from Florida
    From: Mark Javer, April 3, 2007
  33. Bursatella in aquarium
    From: Lori Blair, March 28, 2007
  34. Bursatella leachii from Tampa, Florida
    From: Angie Kuzminski, March 7, 2007
  35. Bursatella leachii in Malaysian shrimp ponds
    From: Huan Ung, February 28, 2007
  36. Bursatella leachii from the Gulf coast of Florida
    From: Sonnia Smith, January 24, 2007
  37. Bursatella leachii from New South Wales
    From: Keith Suddaby, January 16, 2007
  38. Bursatella leachii subspecies
    From: Augusto Medeiros, January 12, 2007
  39. Re: Opisthobranch ova & capsules
    From: Tony Fernando, November 16, 2006
  40. Ragged Sea Hares on the beach
    From: Cathy Zollo, August 28, 2006
  41. Bursatella leachii from Guajira, Colombia
    From: Adriana Aguirre, March 13, 2006
  42. Bursatella leachii from Queensland
    From: Alison Miller, March 7, 2006
  43. Is the genus Barnardaclesia valid?
    From: Carlo Magenta Cunha, February 2, 2006
  44. Bursatella leachii from Gulf coast, Florida
    From: Bryan Wanderlingh, August 30, 2005
  45. Bursatella leachii aggregation in Trinidad, West Indies
    From: Sherri Deaver, August 25, 2005
  46. Bursatella leachii from Florida
    From: Bryan Wanderlingh, August 15, 2005
  47. Bursatella leachii from Western Australia
    From: Melvyn Lintern, July 11, 2005
  48. Re: Albino form of Bursatella leachii
    From: Dong Bum Koh, May 31, 2005
  49. Another Bursatella leachii with eggs
    From: Dong Bum Koh, May 31, 2005
  50. Albino form of Bursatella leachii
    From: Dong Bum Koh, May 27, 2005
  51. Bursatella leachii - another colour form
    From: Dong Bum Koh, May 27, 2005
  52. Bursatella leachii - an aquarium tale
    From: Lori Doyle, May 12, 2005
  53. Bursatella leachii from Brazil
    From: Vinicius Padula, February 16, 2005
  54. Bursatella leachii? from Venezuela
    From: Sylvia Grune, February 10, 2004
  55. Bursatella leachii from Florida
    From: Justin D, January 25, 2004
  56. Bursatella leachii from Turkey
    From: Umut Tural, January 13, 2004
  57. Bursatella leachii defense
    From: Brian, December 5, 2003
  58. Re: Bursatella leachii from Madagascar
    From: Franck Ducharne, August 21, 2003
  59. Bursatella leachii from Madagascar
    From: Franck Ducharne, August 18, 2003
  60. Bursatella leachii from Tunisia
    From: Anis, April 30, 2003
  61. Bursatella leachii from Croatia
    From: Adam Petrusek, April 10, 2003
  62. Bursatella leachii from Florida
    From: Linda Ianniello, March 3, 2003
  63. Bursatella leachii from Florida - egg mass
    From: Linda Ianniello , March 3, 2003
  64. Bursatella leachii question
    From: Cheri , February 12, 2003
  65. Bursatella leachii from Chek Jawa, Singapore
    From: Ria Tan, January 31, 2003
  66. Bursatella leachii? from Florida
    From: Jeremy Catches, September 12, 2002
  67. Re: Bursatella? from Florida
    From: Jan Clark, August 16, 2002
  68. Bursatella leachii from eastern Australia
    From: John Pogonoski, August 15, 2002
  69. Bursatella? from Florida
    From: Jan Clark, August 15, 2002
  70. 'shaggy dog' slug from Queensland
    From: Caroline Deane-Caleffi, June 20, 2002
  71. Estuarine Aplysiids in eastern Australia
    From: Rachel Przeslawski, May 3, 2002
  72. Re: Bursatella from New South Wales
    From: Ian Mackey, March 30, 2002
  73. Sea Slug? from Saratoga Bay NSW
    From: Ian Mackey, March 25, 2002
  74. Seahare bloom in Coffs Harbour marina, NSW
    From: Hamish Malcolm, November 29, 2001
  75. Bursatella leachii in New Zealand
    From: John Buckeridge, October 22, 2001
  76. Bursatella leachii - AP Biology exam
    From: Stacy B., September 26, 2001
  77. thank you!
    From: JJ, August 25, 2001
  78. Bursatella leachii from Colombia
    From: Elianny Domínguez, May 30, 2001
  79. Help on Bursatella
    From: Josephine, April 12, 2001
  80. Bursatella leachii - behaviour
    From: James, March 11, 2001
  81. Sea Hare deaths in Florida continue
    From: Dana Mueller , March 9, 2001
  82. Re: Sea Hares in Florida
    From: Dana Mueller, February 28, 2001
  83. Sea Hares in Florida (1)
    From: Dana Mueller, February 27, 2001
  84. Bursatella leachi plei in the Intertidal Zone?
    From: Randi Bambach, October 19, 2000
  85. I need information on Bursatella leachii
    From: Sarah Dacres, September 3, 2000
  86. Re: Bursatella from Florida
    From: Douglas Anderson, August 5, 2000
  87. Sea Slug/Nudibranch? from Florida
    From: Douglas Anderson, July 31, 2000
  88. Re: Bursatella leachii & sewage
    From: Richard Willan , May 30, 2000
  89. Re: Sea Hares & sewage in Auckland, NZ
    From: John Buckeridge, May 27, 2000
  90. Re: Sea Hares & sewage in Auckland, NZ
    From: Joel Cayford, May 27, 2000
  91. Sea Hare that lives on sewage?
    From: Amelia Wong, May 24, 2000
  92. Sea Hares at North Shore City, New Zealand
    From: Joel Cayford, May 16, 2000
  93. Question about Bursatella leachii
    From: Emily Driesman, May 11, 2000
  94. Frilled Sea Hare in Florida
    From: Michelle van Deventer, February 28, 2000
  95. Bursatella from Colombia
    From: Phanor Montoya, February 16, 2000
  96. Information on Bursatella leachii
    From: Dana Rygwelski, September 28, 1999
  97. Sea Slugs from Biscayne Bay, Florida
    From: Luis, April 5, 1999
  98. Re: Spatial Distribution of Bursatella leachii
    From: Clare Kennedy, February 4, 1999
  99. Spatial Distribution of Bursatella leachii
    From: Ment Nguyen, January 23, 1999
  100. Re: nudibranch in my aquarium
    From: Rob See, January 8, 1999
  101. Re: Re: nudibranch in my aquarium
    From: Rob See, January 8, 1999
  102. Re: Bursatella in prawn ponds
    From: Tom Capo , December 8, 1998
  103. Re: Bursatella in prawn ponds
    From: Doug Pearson, December 7, 1998
  104. Bursatella leachii in prawn ponds
    From: Doug Pearson, December 6, 1998
  105. Behaviour in Bursatella
    From: Leah Wiesenfeld, July 27, 1998

Show factsheet and all related messages