Elysia clarki feeding practices

December 6, 2007
From: Adam D'Agosto

I am totally fascinated by this creature and others like it and thankful for this forum, it is an amazing source of valuable information.

Thank you.

I have a question about the feeding practices of the Elysia clarki.

Does this animal only "feed" by photosynthesis? More specifically, can the E. clarki ingest "food" and use it to sustain itself via other means or mechanisms that does NOT depend on photosynthesis?

Essentially, I am trying to better understand this animal's needs and characteristics before attempting to keep one. From what I have read, it seems as though the E. clarki will "eat" in spurts. I use quotes around words to draw specific attention to them because this animal seems to be doing a lot more behind the scenes than most animals do. It "ingests" food, but later on it will "feed" on it.

Ultimately, I'd like to ascertain what a particular E. clarki is doing at a local aquarium store. The owner said he didn't want to sell him because he stopped eating. The same store also calls it a Lettuce nudibranchs. They also say it ONLY eats hair algae, so reliable information is hard to come by.

It seems to me this particular animal is in fact doing exactly what it's supposed to do; it's not eating hair algae, and it is reasonably active in spite of the fact that it's not "eating". This particular guy is about 2-2 ½" long.

Adam D'Agosto

adam@newair.us

D'Agosto, A., 2007 (Dec 6) Elysia clarki feeding practices. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21251

Dear Adam,

Have a look at the species Fact Sheet and at earlier messages attached at the bottom of thr Fact Sheet, especially message #19329 which discusses what juveniles eat. Also some of the earliest messages on this species (when it was still confused with Elysia crispata) are accounts of people growing 'babies' in their aquaria.

Not all the information on a species is in the Fact Sheet so it is essential to look at the attached messages where new observations - often new to science - are recorded. I would say that Elysia clarki - one of the newest species of Elysia - is one of very few species for which we have good feeding information.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Dec 6). Comment on Elysia clarki feeding practices by Adam D'Agosto. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21251

Factsheet

Elysia clarki

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