'Berghia verrucicornis' - Captive Life Span

March 14, 2006
From: Lisa Brown

I am hoping you can answer a consistent question we are asked in the course of selling Berghia Verrucicornis nudibranchs to saltwater aquarists to solve their aiptasia anemone problem. How long do Berghia live in the typical captive saltwater display tank (assuming they do not run out of aiptasia to eat and are not eaten by predators)? I can not find any research that has answered this question. My feeling, based on our experience growing Berghia, is about 6 months.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Lisa Brown

salty@saltyunderground.com

Brown, L., 2006 (Mar 14) 'Berghia verrucicornis' - Captive Life Span. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16062

Dear Lisa,
I had my doubts some years go that the animal which has been identified in the aquarium trade as Berghia verrucicornis is that species, and in fact recently it has been described as a new species Aeolidiella stephanieae.  

Concerning its life in aquaria, there is a good paper by Carroll & Kempf., 1990, which describes laboratory culture and says that a generation from egg laying to egg laying can be as short as 50 days. But they don't say how long they can survive after that. I guess the moral is to have two animals. Your suggestion of a six months life span sounds reasonable. [see 'Berghia verrucicornis' in aquaria Fact Sheet ]

Concerning the name change. I know it's probably a pain for you but could I suggest you start using the proper name for this species. Berghia verrucicornis is quite a different species from the Mediterranean. I would suggest you write Aeolidiella stephanieae [formerly 'Berghia verrucicornis']. That way the change will soon be picked up by the aquarium web pages.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Mar 14). Comment on 'Berghia verrucicornis' - Captive Life Span by Lisa Brown. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16062

Factsheet

'Berghia verrucicornis' in aquaria

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