Black nudibranch?

September 15, 2000
From: Gareth Trinko

I work at a pet store part time. We have had a 54g salt water tank setup for about 16 months. I think we started with only a few of these black nudi's. Now there are about 15-20. They don't seem to be causing any harm and they are pretty cool to have in there. Do you know what kind they are and how they reproduce? The current tank does not have a skimmer. I would like to put a few in my tank (has a skimmer) and possibly breed them. They are dark black with a 'crack' down their 'backs'. It is white in the crack. Any info would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Gareth

gareth@indepmtg.com

Trinko, G. , 2000 (Sep 15) Black nudibranch?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3023

Dear Gareth,
I am pretty sure you have a species of Scutus, which is a slug-like snail quite closely related to animals like the abalone (Haliotis) and slit limpets. If you look at the other messages on the Scutus page you will see you are not the first person to have this animal appear in their aquarium. What seems to happen is that they are transported into aquaria on weed covered rocks as microscopic juveniles, and as algal grazers find plenty to feed on in most aquaria.

Members of the Superfamily Fissurelloidea, to which they belong, have separate sexes and external fertilisation. That is they broadcast their eggs and sperm into the water and let nature take its course. Fertilised eggs develop into veliger larvae which are non-feeding (lecithotrophic) and so short-lived. It is therefore possible they could breed in your aquarium but I suspect a skimmer would not be a good idea as it could filter out the larvae.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2000 (Sep 15). Comment on Black nudibranch? by Gareth Trinko . [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3023

Factsheet

Elephant Slug, Shield Slug, Ducksbill Limpet (Scutus sp.)

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